CAL    TREATISE 


0ULTURE  OF  SIEK, 


ADAPTED   TO   THE   SOIL   AND  CL-IMATE   OP   THE 
UNITED    STATES. 


BY  P.  G.  COMSTOCK, 

OF  THK  HARTFORD   COUNTY  SILK  SOCIETY  AND   EDITOR   Of  THE 

ST,LK  CULT:  -iST. 


HARTFORD: 

V  M  .     G  .     CO  M  STOCK. 

__ 

rRJx\'CIPAL   BOOKSELLERS   IN    THE    UNITED   STATES.' 

wacec  xxxvi. 


C\J 


CQ 


PRACTICAL    TREATISE 


CULTURE  OF  SILK, 


ADAPTED   TO   T H F,   SOU,    AND   CLIMATE   OP   THE 
UNITED    STATES. 


BY  F.  G.  COMSTOCK, 

•ECEETAK7    OF  THE   IIAKTFOKn   COVXTV  SI1.K   SOCIETY  AND    EDITOR   OF  THB 
SILK.  Cfl.TLlUsT. 


HARTFORD: 
W  M  .     G  .     COMSTOCK. 

FOR   SALE    BIT  THE'  PHIXCIPAL   BOOKSELLERS   IN   THE   UNITED   STATEO. 
M  DCCC  XXXVI. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1835,  by 
WILLIAM  G.  COMSTOCK,  in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  Dia- 
trict  Court  of  Connecticut. 


TO    THE 
»  4.  R  M  E  R  S 

AND 
PRACTICAL     SILK      GROWERS 

IN      THE 

UNITED    STATES, 
THIS    VOLUME 

IS 

RESPECTFULLY     INSCRIBED 
BY    THE     AUTHOR. 


M181955 


PREFACE. 

The  culture  and  manufacture  of  silk  is  becoming  a  subject 
of  much  interest  in  this  country,  and  it  requires  no  spirit  of 
prophecy  to  foresee  that  it  will  ultimately  become  one  of  its 
staple  productions.  These  branches  of  national  industry  and 
economy  have  long  engaged  the  attention  of  older  countries, 
whose  soils  and  climates  admit  of  the  cultivation  of  the  Mul- 
berry and  the  rearing  of  the  Silk  Worm — and  even  in  coun- 
tries whose  atmospheres  are  too  humid  for  the  delicate  con- 
stitution of  the  Worm,  the  manufacture  of  silk  has  been 
prosecuted  as  a  fruitful  source  of  national  and  individual 
wealth.  As  the  subject  is  exciting  much  attention  and  in- 
terest in  this  country,  a  very  brief  history  of  its  discovery 
may  be  both  useful  and  interesting. 

The  Silk  Worm  was  originally  a  native  of  China,  and  the 
adjacent  parts  of  Asia,  where  it  makes  its  cocoons  upon  the 
tree  on  which  it  feeds.  It  was  there  also  fed  and  domesti- 
cated long  before  it  was  known  elsewhere.  It  was  first  car- 
ried into  Persia.  In  the  year  552,  two  monks,  at  the  instance 
of  the  Emperor  Justinian,  succeeded  in  carrying  anumbero^ 
the  eggs,  concealed  in  hollow  canes,  to  the  isle  of  Cos.  In 
the  same  century,  Justinian  caused  the  Silk  \Vorm  to  be 
introduced  into  Constantinople.  They  were  thence  carried 
to  Greece,  where,  and  in  the  Greek  Empire,  they  were  con- 
fined for  six  hundred  years,  In  the  twelfth  century,  they 
were  introduced  into  the  island  of  Sicily  by  the  King,  whence 
they  spread  into  Arabia,  Spain,  Italy,  France,  and  other  Eu- 
ropean countries.  From  Italy  the  manufacture  of  silk  was 
iatroduced  into  Derby,  in  England,  in  1718,  by  a  Mr.  John 
*1 


VI  PREFACE. 

Loinbe,  who  travelled  in  that  country  for  the  purpose  of  ac- 
quiring the  necsssary  information.  But  according  to  state- 
ments, 'which  are  supposed  to  he  authentic,  he  fell  a  victim  to 
the  jealousies  of  the  Italians,  having  been  poisoned  by  them. 
They  were  first  known  in  America,  about  1C20,  in  the  reign 
of  James  I.,  who  sent  out  eggs  and  Mulberry  seed  to  Vir- 
ginia, and  a  book  of  instructions  for  their  culture,  written  by 
himself. 

The  nature  and  origin  of  silk,  were  secrets  in  most  coun- 
tries long  after  the  article  was  known.  That  the  Romans 
were  ignorant,  of  its  origin,  is  manifest  from  the  accounts 
which  different  writers  give  of  it.  It  was  supposed  by  some 
to  be  the  product  of  a  tree,  growing  on  its  trunk  and  branches 
as  hair  grows  upon  the  bodies  of  animals.  Others  supposed 
it  proceeded  from  a  shell-fish — a  kind  of  muscle  which  throws 
out  threads  for  the  purpose  of  attaching  ilself  to  rocks. 
Others  supposed  it  to  he  the  entrails  of  a  particular  kind  of 
spider,  after  being  fed  on  paste,  and  the  leaves  of  the  green 
willow  until  it  burst  with  fat.  Others  imputed  it  to  an  insect 
which  built  nests  of  clay  and  collected  wax.  These  differ- 
ent ways  of  accounting  for  it,  show  that  they  were  in  utter 
ignorance  of  the  Worm,  by  whose  labor  it  is  produced. 

According  to  the  ancients,  silk  was  first  brought  from 
Serica  or  Sereindn,  (China)  in  small  quantities.  The  Chinese 
ascribe  the  origin  of  the  manufacture  to  the  invention  of  the 
Empress  Si-ling-shi,  wife  of  the  Emperor  Hoang-ti,  about 
2700 years  before  Christ.  Manufactured  silk  was  little  known 
in  Europe,  at  the  time  of  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Augustus, 
who  was  contemporary  with  Christ;  and  it  is  mentioned  aa 
a  wanton  extravagance,  in  the  prodigal  Heliogabulus,  that  lie 
had  a  garment  made  wholly  of  silk.  The  Emperor  Aurelian, 
870  years  after  this,  refused  his  Empress  a  silk  robe  merely 


PREFACE.  Vll 

"because  he  could  not.  incur  the  expense.  It  was  then  worth 
more  than  its  weight  in  gold.  Even  Jarn33  I.,  before  his 
ac3?s.ii'.>n  I  >  t!i?  E  \  *!hh  throne  in  1603,  was  compelled  to 
borrow  n  pair  of  silk  stockings,  of  the  Earl  of  Mar,  when  he 
appeared  bjlo/e  t!u  E  )_r!ishAm!vis:s:idor.  This  circumstance 
is  supp:n;\l  to  Inve  ilra;vri  his  attention -to  the  culture  of  silk 
and  to  h.ivj  b_>e:i  the  CHH:?  ofhis  introducing  the  Worm  into 
the  c:>h>rw  of  Virgin! i,  w'.i.v?,  as  also  in  Georgia,  he  granted 
lands  on  condition  of  planting  one  hundred  White  Mulberry 
trees  on  every  ten  acres  of  cleared  land. 

The  culture  of  silk  received  early  attention  in  South 
Carolina.  It  was  introduced  into  New  England  about  the 
year  1760.  by  a  Mr.  Aspinwall,  who  is  said  to  have  had  large 
nurseries  ol  the  M  ilb?rry,  at  New  Haven  and  at  Long  Island. 
This  gentleman  caused  some  of  his  trees  to  be  transplanted 
in  Mansfield,  Connecticut,  and  furnished  some  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  that  town  with  the  eggs  of  the  Silk  Worm.  He 
was  aided  in  his  patriotic  endeavors  to  introduce  the  culture 
of  silk  in  Connecticut,  by  Rev.  Dr.  Styles,  President  of  Yale 
College.  These  efforts  produced  considerable  effect;  but  the 
progress  of  the  work  was  arrested  -by  the  war  of  the  revo- 
lution. 

In  the  year  1771,  the  culture  of  silk  was  commenced  in 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  and  was  engaged  in  with 
considerable  spirit.  It  was,  however,  soon  interrupted  by 
the  war.  Alter  the  treaty  of  peace,  the  business  partiallj 
revived;  but  was  not  considered  worthy  of  much  attention, 
entil  within  a  few  years  past. 

During  the  present  year,  the  business  has  attracted  tl»e 
attention  of  gentlemen  ol  aH  professions,  and  in  all  parts  of 
the  country.  In  the  spring  of  1834,  application  was  made  to 
the  Legislature  of  Connecticut  for  a  Charier  of  a  Silk  Manu- 


till  PREFACE. 

facturing  Company.  An  Act  of  Incorporation  was  obtained, 
a  Company  formed,  and  a  Building  erected  ;  but  it  was 
soon  ascertained  that  the  amount  of  domestic  silk,  annually 
growed,  was  inadequate  to  supply  it  with  the  raw  material; 
while  at  the  same  time,  there  were  in  New  England,  several 
Silk  Factories  already  in  operation.  This  suggested  the 
necessity  of  an  association  for  the  diffusion  of  practical 
knowledge,  and  resulted  in  the  formation  of  the  Hartford 
County  Silk  Society. 

But  the  mere  formation  of  a  Society,  did  not  remedy  the 
evil — the  Society  could  collect  information,  but  they  had  no 
medium  through  which  to  communicate  it  to  the  public.  The 
next  step  was  the  commencement  of  a  periodical,  devot- 
ed to  the  subject,  under  the  appropriate  name  of  "  The  Silk 
Culturist  and  Farmers  Manual."  Though  the  circulation  of 
this  publication  is  extensive  and  constantly  increasing ;  yet 
the  Society  are  in  the  almost  daily  reception  of  letters  of  in- 
quiry, on  the  different  topics,  connected  with  the  business. — 
To  answer  these  letters  separately  and  in  detail,  would  re- 
quire more  time,  than  the  Society  can  devote  to  the  object 
of  their  association,  and  hence  the  want  of  a  "Practical 
Treatise,  adapted  to  the  soil  and  climate  of  the  United  States." 

To  supply  this  want,  at  a  price  within  the  ability  of  all,  is 
the  object  contemplated  by  the  author  of  the  following  work  ; 
and  should  it  contribute  to  that  result,  or  in  any  manner  con- 
duce to  the  happiness  and  prosperity  of  the  community,  the 
author  will  be  amply  rewarded  for  his  labor. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  i.~ 

Mulberry  Tree, 13 

Va rieties  of  tha  Mulberry,       -----  14 

S.)il  for  tlis  Mulberry, 15 

Methods  of  Propagation,         -----  16 

Cleansing  the  Seed,     ------  17 

Purchasing  Seed,            -        -        -        -        -         -  18 

Sowing  Seed,     ------- 

Transplanting,        -------21 

Grafting, 24 

Budding, 25 

T  5> 

Layers,        ------- 

Cuttings,         ....---- 

Suckers,      --------26 

Pruning,        -- 

Picking  Leaves,  -------27 

Hedges, 23 

Sowing  Broad  Cast, 29 

Chinese  Mulberry, SO 

Transplanting  Chinese,        -        -        -        -        -  85 


X  CONTENTS. 

PART  u. — 

Growth  and   Changes  of  the  Silk  Worm,        -  S9 

Diseases  of  the  Silk  Worm,  -----  40 
The  Cocoonery,       ------ 

Hatching, 4^ 

Italian  Process,        ------- 

Time  of  Hatching, 45 

Space  Required, -47 

Feeding, 48 

Feeding  Shelves, 51 

Weight  of  Food, 52 

Gathering  Cocoons, 60 

Making  Cocoons,    - 59 

Preserving  Eggs, 01 

Stifling  Worms,       ------- 

Curing  Cocoons,  ------  65 

Transporting    Cocoons, 

Substituted    Feed, 64 

Successive  Crops,    -        -        -        -                 -        -  69 

Deterioration  of  Silk  Worms,  70 

PART  in. — 

Reeling  Silk,    - 73 

Cobb's  Reel, 76 

Dale's  Reel, " 

Sorting  Cocoons,          - 77 

Reeling, " 


CONTENTS.  XI 

Raw  Silk, 80 

Disbanding  Silk  from  the  Reel,        -        -        -        -  81 

Waste  and  Refuse  Silk, 82 

Cleansing  Silk,        -        -        -        -      '  -        -        -  84 

Ungumming  Silk,        ------  85 

Bagging  Silk, " 

-   Sulphuring  Silk,  ------         -87 

Aluming  Silk,          ------- 

Manufacture  of  Silk,    ------  88 

PART  iv. — 

Manufacture  of  Sewing  Silk  and  Twist,  -  -    91 

Brooks'   Spinning  Machine,         -        -        -        -  94 

Dyeing  Silk,    -        -        -        -        -,-        ~  -98 
Black, 

Best  Blue, -  100 

Dark  Blue,                            101 

Product  of  the  Silk  Worm/      -        -      ,  -        -  -  102 

Profit  of  the  Silk  Worm, 104 

Labor  Required,      __-----  105 

Conclusion,           -------  106 


PART    I. 


THE  MULBERRY  TREE. 

THE  first  step  in  the  process  of  the  silk  manufac- 
ture is  to  make  provision  for  an  abundant  supply  of 
food  for  the  worm,  by  whose  industry  the  raw  mate- 
rial is  produced.  The  only  natural  food  for  the  silk 
worm  is  the  foliage  of  several  species  of  the  Mulberry; 
and  as  the  most  valuable  of  them  are  not  indigenous 
in  our  forests,  we  must  depend  upon  the  hand  of  cul- 
tivation, to  acquire  what  nature  has  withholden  from 
us  in  the  distribution  of  her  gifts.  Though  nature 
has,  doubtless  for  good  reasons,  omitted  to  give  us 
these  species  of  the  Mulberry  tree,  growing  sponta- 
neously on  our  farms  and  in  our  forests,  yet  she  has 
favored  us  with  a  soil  and  climate  admirably  adapted 
to  their  propagation.  The  first  object,  therefore,  with 
the  culturist  should  be  to  prepare  and  sow  a  nursery  of 
plants,  from  which  he  can  subsequently  have  a  full 
supply  for  standard  trees,  hedges,  &c.,  as  his  taste 
and  judgment  may  direct. 

As  there  are  several  species  of  the  Mulberry,  each 
having  its  varieties,  and  as  some  soils  are  more  con- 
genial to  it  than  others,  the  culturist  should  select  the 
best  varieties  of  the  tree,  and  the  soil  best  adapted  to 
its  growth  and  the  quality  of  its  foliage. 
2 


14  THE  MULBERRY  TREE. 


VARIETIES  OF  THE  MULBERRY. 

These  varieties  may  be  divided  into  two  general 
classes,  comprising  such  as  are,  and  such  as  are  not 
valuable  on  account  of  their  foliage  as  food  for  the 
silk  worm.  The  former  class  includes  the  White 
Italian — the  Shining  Leaved — the  Tartarean — the 
Dondolo  and  the  Chinese — the  latter  has  three  known 
varieties,  the  Morus  Multicaulis — the  Morus  Cucal- 
latta — and  the  Perrottet  Mulberry.  The  latter  class 
includes  the  Black,  Red  and  Japan  Paper  Mulberry, 
which  are  considered  not  worth  cultivating  for  the 
purpose  of  foliage. 

Of  all  the  species  of  the  Mulberry  there  is  no  doubt 
that  the  Chinese  is  to  be  preferred,  if  it  can  be  made 
to  endure  our  climate,  and  of  all  its  varieties  the  Mul- 
ticaulis should  be  chosen  on  account  of  the  quantity 
and  quality  of  its  foliage,  and  the  facility  with  which  it 
is  gathered.  We  regret,  however,  to  discover  a  dis- 
position in  many  places,  to  neglect  the  cultivation  of 
the  White  Mulberry.  There  is  no  doubt  the  foliage 
of  the  Chinese  Mulberry  is  altogether  superior  to  that 
of  the  White,  and  that  the  tree  is  to  be  preferred  on 
all  accounts.  That  this  wrill  ultimately  be  the  case,  by 
acclimation,  we  hope  and  believe  ;  but  we  cannot  say 
that  we  are  without  our  fears.  The  extensive  destruc- 
tion of  the  Chinese  Mulberry  the  last  winter,  we  do 
not  consider  as  deciding  the  question  against  its  abil- 
ity to  withstand  our  ordinary  winters.  The  last  win- 
ter was  uncommonly  severe,  and  many  of  the  most 
hardy  indigenous  trees  and  shrubs  were  destroyed 
root  and  branch.  But  notwithstanding  the  extreme 
cold,  some  of  this  variety  of  the  Mulberry  survived  it, 
even  in  locations  peculiarly  unfavorable.  We  hope, 


THE  MULBERRY  TREE.  15 

therefore,  it  will  finally  succeed ;  but  it  is  a  dictate  of 
common  sense  not  to  exchange  certainties  for  uncer- 
tainties. We  know  from  the  experience  of  half  a 
century,  that  the  White  Mulberry  is  adapted  to  our 
climate,  and  that  from  its  foliage,  silk  of  an  excellent 
quality  and  liberal  product  may  be  made,  and  it  is 
certainly  the  dictate  both  of  wisdom  and  economy,  to 
hold  it  in  reserve  should  the  Chinese  fail. 

Our  plan,  as  practical  culturists,  is  to  multiply  the 
White  Mulberry  as  fast  as  possible,  and  at  the  same 
time  endeavor  to  acclimate  the  Chinese.  Should  it 
succeed,  and  render  the  White  Mulberry  unneces- 
sary for  foliage,  it  will  still  be  valuable  for  timber 
and  fuel.  But,  on  the  contrary,  should  we  be  disap- 
pointed in  our  hopes  and  expectations  with  respect  to 
the  Chinese,  we  shall  still  be  enabled  to  prosecute  the 
culture  of  silk  with  success  and  profit.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  the  most  sanguine  believer  in  the  Chinese 
variety  will  not  neglect  to  cultivate  the  White,  until 
the  question  is  settled  beyond  the  possibility  of  a 
doubt.  It  appears  to  us  that  the  success  of  the  whole 
enterprize  would  be  jeoparded  by  any  other  course  of 
procedure  ;  and,  as  we  ardently  desire  its  success, 
would  earnestly  entreat  our  fellow  culturists  to  guard 
against  such  a  result. 

The  Shining  Leaved — the  Tartarean  and  the  Don- 
dolo  are  also  excellent  varieties  for  silk,  and  well 
worth  the  attention  of  the  culturist. 

SOIL  FOR  THE  MULBERRY. 

The  inquiry  is  frequently  made  respecting  the  na- 
ture of  the  soil  best  adapted  to  the  growth  of  the 
Mulberry,  and  the  climate  most  favorable  to  the 
health,  industry  and  product  of  the  silk  worm.  An 


16  THE  MULBERRY  TREE. 

answer  to  the  first  topic  of  inquiry  is  all  that  need  be 
said  on  the  subject,  for  it  is  a  well  established  fact  that 
in  all  climates  where  the  food  may  be  cultivated,  the 
animal,  created  by  nature  to  live  upon  it,  will  be  in 
its  full  vigor.  With  respect  to  the  soil  best  adapted 
to  the  production  of  the  food,  it  may  be  laid  down  as 
a  general  rule,  that  all  soils  adapted  to  the  culture  of 
Indian  corn  are  adapted  to  the  culture  of  the  Mul- 
berry. In  the  south  of  France,  Piedmont  and  Italy, 
where  the  culture  of  silk  has  arrived  to  great  perfec- 
tion, Indian  corn  grows  luxuriantly,  and  is  the  princi- 
pal article  of  bread  stuff  among  all  classes  of  the 
community. 

It  is  also  a  fact  that  the  White  Mulberry  will  grow 
well  on  light  loamy  and  sandy  land,  and  that  its  foli- 
age is  superior  in  quality  to  that  which  is  produced 
on  deeper  and  moister  soils.  This  fact  is  important 
to  farmers,  as  it  will  enable  them  to  derive  a  profit 
from  lands  which  have  not  been  considered  worth 
cultivating.  We  have  seen  Mulberry  trees  to  the 
height  of  thirty  and  forty  feet,  growing  on  steep  and 
sandy  declivities,  covered  with  an  exuberance  of 
foliage,  where  ten  bushels  of  corn  upon  an  acre  would 
be  considered  a  large  crop.  Low  and  wet  lands  are 
uncongenial  to  the  Mulberry.  In  all  other  soils  and 
locations  they  may  be  successfully  cultivated. 

METHODS  OF  PROPAGATION. 

The  Mulberry  admits  of  six  different  methods  of 
propagation.  1st  Seed.  2d  Grafting.  3d  Budding 
or  Inoculating.  4th  Layers.  5th  Cuttings.  'Oth 
Suckers.  The  seed  is  contained  in  the  fruit  and  is  pro- 
cured by  bruising  and  washing  the  berries.  As  fast 
as  the  fruit  ripens  it  should  be  gathered,  otherwise  it 


THE  MttLBEKRY  TREE.  17 

will  fall  from  the  tree  and  be  lost,  or  be  devoured  by 
birds.  When  a  portion  of  the  fruit  is  ripe,  spread 
blankets  under  the  trees  and  shake  them  gently — by 
this  means  the  ripe  berries  are  disengaged  from  the 
boughs,  and,  falling  upon  the  blankets,  are  easily 
gathered,  while  those  that  are  unripe  remain  undis- 
turbed. This  process  ought  to  be  repeated  every 
morning.  The  seed  should  not  be  suffered  to  remain 
in  the  berry  more  than  three  or  four  days  at  longest, 
as  fermentation  may  take  place  which  will  injure,  if 
not  destroy  it. 


CLEANSING  THE  SEED. 

To  separate  the  seed,  put  the  fruit  into  a  tub,  or 
other  convenient  vessel,  and  with  the  hands,  or  a 
pounder,  mash  them  till  they  are  incorporated  into  a 
common  mass.  Then  pour  water  upon  it  and  stir  it 
briskly  till  a  separation  takes  place  between  the  seed 
and  the  pulp.  After  the  separation  has  taken  place, 
the  water  should  be  poured  off,  taking  with  it  the 
false  seeds  which  will  rise  to  the  surface.  The  wash- 
ings should  be  repeated  until  the  seed  is  clean.  Rub- 
bing it  through  a  sieve,  with  meshes  of  sufficient  size 
to  admit  the  passage  of  the  seed  will  facilitate  the 
operation. 

After  the  seed  has  become  clean,  the  water  is 
drained  off  and  the  seed  spread  thinly  on  cloths  and 
dried  in  the  shade.  When  perfectly  dry  it  should  be 
put  into  a  vessel  air  tight,  and  kept  in  a  dry  place, 
secluded  from  frost  or  dampness,  till  it  is  wanted  for 
sowing. 


THE  MULBERRY  TREE. 


PURCHASING  SEED. 

In  procuring  seed  for  sowing  care  ought  to  be  taken 
to  obtain  that  which  is  genuine,  and  in  order  to  guard 
against  imposition,  seed  of  domestic  growth  should 
always  be  selected  in  preference  to  foreign,  when  it 
can  be  obtained. 

It  is  said,  and  probably  with  truth,  that  a  quantity 
of  imported  turnip  seed  has  been  distributed  in  some 
parts  of  the  country  for  Chinese  Mulberry  seed,  and 
the  same  imposition,  it  is  feared,  will  be  attempted  to 
be  played  off  in  the  importation  and  sale  of  White 
Mulberry  seed.  The  silk  growing  and  manufactur- 
ing districts  of  foreign  countries,  are  unquestionably 
looking  upon  our  enterprize  with  an  envious  and  jeal- 
ous eye,  and  we  must  be  prepared  to  surmount  every 
obstacle  their  cupidity  may  throw  in  our  way,  wheth- 
er indirectly,  by  scattering  among  us  spurious  seed, 
or  such  as  will  not  vegetate,  or  directly,  by  sending 
among  us  foreign  emissaries,  as  they  did  when  the 
cotton  manufacture  was  in  its  infancy. 

To  guard  against  these  impositions  it  is  recom- 
mended to  cultivators  to  be  careful  about  the  quality 
and  kind  of  their  seed  ;  and  in  all  cases  to  procure 
domestic  seed  when  it  can  be  had. 

SOWING    THE    SEED. 

The  seed  may  be  sown  from  the  first  of  May  to  the 
first  of  September.  If  sown  in  August,  the  plants 
will  be  up  two  or  three  inches  before  the  autumnal 
frosts,  and  must  be  protected  by  covering  them  with 
horse  manure,  straw,  or  refuse  hay,  or  the  roots  will 
be  liable  to  be  destroyed  by  the  frosts  of  the  ensuing 


THE    MULBERRY    TREE.  1U 

winter.  The  object  of  covering  is  not  to  protect  the 
shoots  but  the  roots,  and  care  must  be  taken  not  to 
cover  them  too  deep,  as  it  may  afford  a  shelter  for 
rats,  mice,  &c.  in  which  case  they  would  be  sure  to 
kill  them. 

The  seed  may  be  sown  in  seed  beds,  or  nurseries, 
as  best  suits  the  convenience  of  the  cultivator.  When 
land  is  no  object,  it  will  be  best  to  sow  them  in  the 
nursery,  as  it  will  save  the  labor  of  once  transplant- 
ing. 

For  spring  sowing,  the  land  should  be  partially 
prepared  the  previous  autumn.  Every  cultivator 
knows  the  fertilizing  effects  of  frost  and  snow,  and 
consequently  ought  to  avail  himself  of  them  in  pre- 
paring his  ground  for  a  nursery. 

In  order  for  this,  ground,  intended  for  spring  sow- 
ing, should  be  dug  or  ploughed  late  in  the  preceding 
autumn  and  left  rough  through  the  winter.  If  the 
land  require  it,  a  suitable  quantity  of  manure  should 
be  applied.  In  the  spring,  as  early  as  the  season  will 
admit,  the  ground  should  be  ploughed  again  and  har- 
rowed, or  raked — care  being  taken  that  the  earth  be 
well  pulverized.  When  the  season  is  sufficiently  ad- 
vanced, ordinarily  about  the  first  of  May,  the  ground 
should  be  laid  off  into  drills,  at  sufficient  distances 
from  each  other  to  admit  of  passing  between  them 
for  the  purpose  of  weeding  and  hoeing,  and  the  seed 
sown  in  the  manner  of  sowing  carrots. 

The  seed  should  be  covered  about  half  an  inch 
deep  and  the  earth  well  trod,  or  rolled  down  to  bring 
it  in  contact  with  the  seed.  Before  sowing,  the 
seed  ought  to  be  steeped  in  water  about  blood  warm, 
or  in  milk  and  water,  for  twenty-four  or  thirty-six 
hours,  as  it  will  promote  its  vegetation. 


20  THE  MULBERRY  TREE. 

After  the  plants  are  up,  they  must  be  kept  free  of 
weeds,  and  the  earth  well  stirred  with  the  hoe.  If 
the  season  is  dry,  they  should  be  frequently  watered ; 
but  in  all  cases  before  the  rising  of  the  sun,  or  after 
its  setting  in  the  evening,  as  watering  them  during 
sunshine  will  injure,  rather  than  benefit,  their  health 
and  growth. 

It  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  the  plants  to  be  de- 
stroyed by  the  frosts  of  the  first  winter ;  but  this  is 
considered  a  matter  of  little  consequence  compared 
with  injury  to  the  roots.  If  the  roots  are  preserved 
in  a  healthy  state,  they  will  throw  up  vigorous  shoots 
the  second  spring,  which  will  generally  withstand  the 
cold  of  the  second  winter.  Some  cultivators  of  trees 
cut  off  the  shoots  of  the  first  year's  growth  about  two 
inches  from  the  ground,  and  we  are  inclined  to  think 
it  the  better  course.  We  have  two  nurseries,  one  of 
which  was  cut  off  in  this  manner,  and  the  other  left 
standing.  The  trees  cut  down  are  larger,  and,  in 
every  respect,  better  than  those  left  standing.  The 
plants  of  spring  sowing  ought  to  be  covered  in  season 
to  prevent  the  frost  reaching  the  roots,  and  it  would 
be  well  to  do  it  before  the  frosts  are  severe.  The 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Concord  Silk  Soci- 
ety, suggests  hemlock  boughs  as  a  suitable  material 
for  covering,  and  we  are  inclined  to  the  opinion  that 
they  will  answer  every  purpose.  Taking  all  things 
into  consideration,  we  would  recommend  spring  sow- 
ing, especially  for  large  nurseries. 


THE  MULBERRY  TREE.  21 


TRANSPLANTING  TREES. 

As  the  trees  grow  in  the  nursery,  and  become 
crowded,  they  must  be  thinned  out.  This  should  be 
done  by  transplanting  them  to  situations  where  it  is 
intended  they  shall  permanently  remain.  To  trans- 
plant trees,  dig  the  holes  for  them  six  feet  square, 
dress  the  ground  two  feet  round  the  plants,  shorten 
the  tap  root  and  press  the  earth  on  the  roots  as  the 
hills  are  filled  up. 

The  distances,  at  which  the  trees  are  to  be  set, 
depend  upon  the  kind  intended  to  be  growed.  For 
an  orchard  of  full  grown  standard  trees,  Mr.  Cobb 
recommends  the  usual  distance  between  apple  trees. 
On  the  subject  of  dwarfs,  Mr.  Goodrich,  President  of 
the  Hartford  County  Silk  Society,  and  a  gentleman 
of  science  and  experience,  to  whom  the  community 
are  largely  indebted  for  the  present  encouraging 
prospect  of  the  silk  enterprize,  says : — 

"  I  advise  you  to  set  the  rows  of  mulberry  trees, 
at  the  distance  of  eiglitfeet;  this  will  allow  sufficient 
space  to  plough  between  the  rows  with  a  yoke  of 
oxen,  or  to  pass  between  them  with  a  one  horse 
wagon,  when  the  trees  are  considerably  grown. 

"  I  would  transplant  the  trees  when  they  are  one  or 
two  years  old,  (I  should  perfer  those  which  are  one 
year  old,)  and  set  them  in 'the  rows  originally,  at  the 
distance  of  two  feet.  They  will  grow  for  -two  or 
three  years  within  two  feet  of  each  other,  as  well  as 
at  a  greater  distance.  You  will  then  have  more  than 
2700  mulberry  trees  on  an  acre.  If  your  trees  are 
one  year  old,  or  seedlings,  you  may,  if  you  please, 
place  them  at  the  distance  of  one  foot  from  another 
in  the  rows. 


fc2  THE   MULBERRY   TREE. 

"  It  is  important  that  the  young  plants  should  be 
hoed  and  cultivated  for  a  few  years,  with  as  much 
care  as  is  usually  bestowed  on  carrots  or  onions; 
and  in  order  to  do  this,  with  as  little  expense  as  pos- 
sible, potatoes,  beans,  or  ruta  baga,  may  be  planted 
between  the  rows,  and  when  the  potatoes  are  hoed, 
all  the  weeds  around  the  mulberry  trees  must  be 
carefully  destroyed. 

"  When  the  trees  are  three  or  four  years  old,  and 
have  begun  to  spread,  and  fill  the  ground,  I  would 
thin  them  out  by  digging  up  and  transplanting  every 
other  tree.  Experience  will  enable  you  to  decide  at 
what  time  this  is  proper  to  be  done. 

"  I  ought  to  have  added  above,  that  potatoes  should 
be  between  the  rows,  well  manured,  so  that  the  whole 
ground  may  be  rich  like  a  garden. 

"  I  observed  the  last  year,  that  the  young  mulberry 
trees,  grew  as  well  where  potatoes  were  planted  be- 
tween the  rows,  as  where  they  were  omitted,  and  the 
trees  cultivated  in  the  same  manner  without  potatoes. 

"  I  would  begin  to  prune  the  young  trees  the  first 
year,  and  continue  it  every  year,  observing  to  cut  off 
all  sprouts  which  grow  near  the  ground ;  no  leaves 
ought  to  be  suffered  to  grow  nearer  than  two  or  three 
feet  to  the  ground.  The  earlier  you  begin  to  prune, 
the  easier  it  will  be  to  form  good  trees,  and  the  more 
rapidly  they  will  grow. 

"  The  second  year,  I  would  begin  to  make  silk  of  the 
twigs  which  are  trimmed  off.  If  the  trees  have  been 
properly  cultivated  from  the  beginning,  I  think  you 
may  make  silk  enough  the  second  year,  to  pay  all  the 
expense  of  making  the  silk,  and  of  cultivating  the 
trees  that  year.  The  principal  object,  however, 
ought  to  be,  not  to  make  silk  the  second  year,  but  to 
cultivate  the  trees  in  the  most  judicious  manner. 


THE    MULBERRY   TREE.  23 

"  I  would  therefore  advise,  that  for  the  two  or  three 
first  years,  the  trees  should  be  trimmed,  and  the  leaves 
gathered,  only  by  persons  who  know  how  to  trim  the 
trees  properly. 

"  When  the  trees  are  four  or  five  years  old,  at  which 
time,  they  will  be  six  or  eight  feet  high,  I  propose  to 
gather  leaves  for  the  worms,  by  cutting  off  twigs,  or 
small  branches,  which  may  be  done  by  a  person 
standing  on  the  ground,  still  observing  to  trim  the 
trees  in  such  a  manner  as  will  best  promote  their 
growth.  At  Mansfield,  in  this  State,  the  leaves  have 
usually  been  stripped  with  the  hand  from  the  branches, 
and  the  person  who  gathers  them,  is  obliged  to  climb 
trees,  which  are  thirty  or  forty  feet  high.  I  propose 
to  save  this  labor  in  a  great  measure,  by  trimming 
and  heading  down  the  trees  from  year  to  year,  so  that 
they  shall  not  grow  more  than  six  or  eight  feet  high, 
and  in  such  a  manner  that  the  leaves  may  always  be 
gathered  by  a  person  standing  on  the  ground.  In  this 
manner,  mulberry  leaves  are  gathered  in  Persia  and 
in  the  vicinity  of  Constantinople. 

"  The  leaves,  or  rather  branches,  are  to  be  conveyed 
to  the  silk  house  or  cocoonery,  in  one  horse  wagons, 
and  you  will  now  see  the  propriety  of  leaving  the 
rows  sufficiently  far  apart  for  wagons  to  pass  between 
them.  I  propose,  also,  to  gather  the  leaves,  or 
branches,  in  large  baskets,  of  a  proper  shape,  made' 
for  the  purpose,  and  adapted  to  the  wagons.  I  sup-* 
pose  that  one  man  with  a  wagon,  will  carry  these 
baskets  of  leaves  to  the  cocoonery  as  fast  as  a  number 
can  fill  them. 

"  I  found  the  last  year,  that  leaves  which  grew  near 
the  ground,  were  covered  with  sand  or  dirt,  thrown 
upon  them  during  showers  of  rain ;  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  clean  them  thoroughly,  before  they  were 


24  THE  MULBERRY   TREE. 

given  to  the  worms.  The  labor  of  doing  this  was 
about  equal  to  that  of  gathering  the  leaves.  This 
suggested  the  propriety  of  trimming  up  the  young 
plant  from  the  beginning,  so  that  no  leaves  should 
grow  near  the  ground. 

"I  omitted  to  mention,  that  the  potatoes  which  may 
be  grown  the  first  year,  between  rows  of  mulberry 
seedlings,  will,  as  I  think,  pay  for  setting  out  and  cul- 
tivating the  plants  that  year.  When  the  mulberry 
trees  have  grown  to  a  considerable  size,  and  the  roots 
have  filled  the  ground,  it  may  perhaps  be  advisable  to 
discontinue  planting  potatoes  between  the  rows,  as 
the  roots  of  the  trees  would  be  impaired  by  ploughing 
the  land." 

GRAFTING. 

There  are  various  methods  of  grafting  which  are 
as  applicable  to  the  Mulberry  as  any  other  tree.  The 
thing  essential  in  the  various  methods  of  grafting  is 
to  ad  apt  the  bark  of  the  scion  to  the  bark  of  the  stock, 
and  it  is  considered  advisable  to  place  the  scion  on  the 
northerly  side  of  the  stock,  as  it  is  less  liable  to  with- 
er and  die  by  the  influence  of  the  sun. 

In  Italy  they  are  so  prejudiced  in  favor  of  grafting 
Mulberry  trees,  that  they  graft  those  intended  for 
hedges.  This  prejudice  grows  out  of  a  mistaken 
opinion  that  grafted  trees  yield  a  greater  amount  of 
foliage  than  those  from  the  seed.  The  facility  with 
which  trees  are  obtained  from  the  seed  will  always 
render  it  the  best  way  for  obtaining  them  in  this  coun- 
try, except  in  cases  where  it  is  desirable  to  propagate 
particular  species,  or  varieties. 


THE    MULBERRY   TREE  25 


BUDDING. 

Budding  or  inoculating  is  a  much  more  simple  op- 
eration than  grafting  and  generally  to  be  preferred, 
especially  in  cases  where  the  trees  are  small.  As 
there  is  nothing  in  the  operation  of  budding  or  inocu- 
lating the  Mulberry  different  from  that  of  any  common 
fruit  trees,  we  refer  the  reader  to  the  numerous  horti- 
cultural works,  in  which  the  subject  is  fully  discussed 
and  ample  directions  given  for  its  skilful  performance. 

LAYERS. 

The  propagation  of  trees  by  layers  is  one  of  the  ea- 
siest methods  to  multiply  them  of  which  we  have  any 
knowledge.  This  operation  is  performed  by  laying 
down  the  branches  of  the  tree,  fastening  them  to  the 
ground  with  a  pin-  having  a  hook  upon  it  and  cover- 
ing them,  to  the  depth  of  several  inches,  with  earth. — 
In  performing  this  operation  care  must  be  taken  to 
leave  the  end  of  the  branch  above  the  surface  of  the 
earth, — scarifying  that  part  of  the  branch  which  is 
covered,  has  also  a  tendency  to  cause  it  to  throw  out 
roots  more  rapidly  and  vigorously. 

The  following  spring  the  branch  is  separated  from 
the  parent  stock,  and  transplanted.  The  number  of 
trees  which  in  this  manner  may  be  obtained  from  a, 
single  stock  is  astonishing. 

CUTTINGS. 

Another  method  of  propagating  the  Mulberry  is  by 
means  of  Cuttings.  To  produce  trees  by  cuttings, 
the  perpendicular  shoots,  and  especially  such  as  ter- 
minate branches,  should  be  selected.  These  are  to 

3 


26  THE    MULBERRY    TREE. 

be  cut  into  pieces  from  six  to  fifteen  inches  in  length, 
having  on  them,  towards  their  ends,  two  buds — one 
for  the  root,  and  the  other  for  the  branch.  These 
are  to  be  stuck,  early  in  the  spring,  into  the  ground 
about  two  thirds  their  length  and  have  the  earth  well 
closed  around  them. 

A  shady  location  is  preferable,  when  it  can  be  ob- 
tained, and  in  dry  weather  they  should  be  kept  well 
watered.  The  cuttings  should  be  of  the  last  years 
shoots.  Cuttings  from  horizontal  branches  will  grow 
equally  well,  but  incline  to  grow  in  a  more  spreading 
form  and  do  not  make  as  handsome  and  thrifty  trees. 
The  second  year  they  may  be  transplanted  if  wrell 
rooted. 


SUCKERS. 

Trees  may  also  be  obtained  from  suckers.  These 
are  to  be  separated  from  the  tree  early  in  the  spring, 
care  being  taken  to  leave  some  roots  upon  them,  and 
planted  either  in  the  nursery  or  orchard.  In  dry 
weather  they  should  be  watered. 

Though  the  White  Mulberry  admits  of  these  vari- 
ous methods  of  propagation ;  yet  ordinarily  the  bet- 
ter method  will  be  to  propagate  them  from  the  seed. 
Seed  of  a  good  quality  can  ordinarily  be  obtained  at 
a  moderate  price,  and  from  a  single  pound,  one  hun- 
dred thousand  plants  may  reasonably  be  expected. 

PRUNING. 

The  subsequent  treatment  of  the  trees  ought  to 
have  particular  reference  to  the  quality  and  quantity 
of  the  foliage,  the  duration  of  the  tree  and  the  conven- 
ience of  gathering  the  leaves. 


THE    MULBERRY    TREE.  27 

These  objects  are  attained  by  cultivation,  pruning 
and  picking.  Though  trees  from  eight  to  ten  years 
old  will  do  well  in  grass  land,  yet  if  the  ground  is 
manured  and  cultivated  they  will  produce  a  greater 
abundance  of  foliage.  The  health  and  form  of  trees 
also  depend  much  on  pruning.  Trees  left  to  take 
care  of  themselves  produce  small  leaves,  and  they  of- 
ten assume  a  form  which  renders  it  extremely  diffi- 
cult and  unpleasant  to  gather  them. 

Great  care  in  pruning  is  necessary  the  first  year 
they  are  picked.  After  gathering  the  leaves,  all  dam- 
a*ged  and  decayed  branches  ought  to  be  removed  as 
well  as  such  as  are  either  too  tardy  or  too  vigorous  in 
their  growth.  Regard  should  also  be  had  to  the  form 
of  the  tree  in  pruning.  It  should  not  be  permitted  to 
grow  too  high,  to  throw  out  its  lateral  branches  too 
far,  or  to  have  them  hang  in  a  drooping  position. 

To  prevent  these  consequences  the  tree  should  be 
headed  down  by  shortening  its  top  shoots,  as  should 
also  the  lateral  branches.  Those  that  droop  should 
be  entirely  cut  away  unless  they  can  be  made  to  take 
an  upright,  or  at  least  a  horizontal,  direction  by  short- 
ening. Such  branches  as  have  been  displaced  by 
picking  the  leaves,  should  be  replaced  in  order  that 
they  take  their  proper  direction.  In  other  respects 
they  may  be  pruned  in  the  manner  of  common  fruit 
trees. 


PICKING    LEAVES. 


It  is  the  prevailing  opinion  in  the  silk  growing  dis- 
tricts of  Connecticut,  that  trees  only  two  years  old 
may  be  stripped  of  their  leaves  without  injury,  provi- 
ded the  leaves  nearest  the  ends  of  the  main  stem  and 
lateral  branches  are  left.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 


28  THE    MULBERRY    TREE. 

leaves  of  trees  are  their  lungs,  and  contribute,  by  ob- 
sorption  of  moisture  and  the  principle  of  vegetation 
from  the  atmosphere,  to  their  growth ;  but  the  health 
of  a  Mulberry  tree  is  probably  promoted  as  much  by 
depriving  it  of  its  leaves,  in  a  reasonable  manner  and 
at  the  proper  season,  as  that  of  a  sheep  by  being  shorn 
of  its  wool. 

It  is  recommended  by  some  culturists  to  let  the 
trees  rest  one  year  after  the  first  picking,  in  order  to 
recover  from  the  loss  of  its  leaves. 

Various  methods  of  picking  leaves  and  transport- 
ing them  to  the  cocoonery  have  been  practised  ;  but 
as  experience  will  soon  discover  the  best  method  to 
the  practical  culturist,  it  is  supposed  to  be  unneces- 
sary to  give  any  directions  in  relation  to  it.  It  may. 
however,  be  proper  to  state  that  the  leaves  ought  to 
be  stripped  upwards,  as  downwards  would  injure  the 
buds, 

HEDGES. 

A  very  good  way  of  cultivating  the  Mulberry  is  in 
hedges,  and  it  is  probable  it  will  ultimately  be  found 
to  be  the  best  method.  It  is  cultivated  in  this  man- 
ner in  the  form  offence  or  field  hedges.  On  the  bor- 
ders of  fields,  Mulberry  hedges  are  cultivated  for  the 
double  purpose  of  fence  and  foliage,  and  the  interior 
of  fields  is  often  covered  with  hedges,  at  suitable  dis- 
tances from  each  other  to  admit  the  passage  of  a  hand 
or  horse  cart  for  the  purpose  of  transporting  the 
leaves  to  the  cocoonery.  The  method  of  propagating 
hedges  in  both  cases,  is  much  the  same,  and  is  done 
either  by  transplanting  plants  from  the  nursery  or 
sowing  the  seed  when  it  is  intended  to  make  a  hedge. 

To  make  a  hedge  by  transplanting  from  the  nurse- 


THE    MULBERRY    TREE.  29 

ry,  take  plants  one  or  two  years  old  and  set  them  at 
the  distance  of  eighteen  inches  apart,  or,  if  it  is  inten- 
ded to  make  a  thickset  hedge,  at  the  distance  of  one 
foot.  Cut  off  the  tops  at  four  or  six  inches  from  the 
ground,  leaving  two  buds  opposite  each  other,  and 
removing  all  the  rest.  This  causes  the  stock  to  have 
two  vigorous  branches  the  first  year.  The  next 
spring,  cut  one  of  these  two  branches  on  the  same 
side,  at  about"  twelve  inches  from  the  ground,  in  such 
manner  that  each  plant  may  have  a  long  and  a  short 
one.  Cut  horizontally  on  the  same  side  also  one  af- 
ter another,  all  the  branches,  and  fasten  them  with 
cords  or  withes,  so  that  they  may  form  a  line  paral- 
lel with  the  earth,  and  leave  the  entire  branches  un- 
touched. At  the  commencement  of  the  third  year, 
the  plants  will  have  branches  to  form  a  hedge. 

The  height,  form,  &c.  of  a  hedge  may  be  regulated 
accordnig  to  the  taste  of  the  cultivator  by  cutting  off 
the  branches,  when  covered  with  leaves,  and  feeding 
the  silk  worm  upon  them.  Some  cultivators  are  per- 
mitting standard  trees  to  grow  up  out  of  their  hedges 
at  the  distance  often  or  twelve  feet  from  each  other. 
This  is  doubtless  an  improvement,  as  by  cutting  away 
the  hedge  an  orchard  of  standard  trees  would  be  left 
should  it  ever  be  found  desirable  so  to  do.  Rails 
might  also  be  inserted  into  the  standards  and  a  good 
fence  easily  made. 

To  make  a  hedge  from  the  seed  it  is  only  necessa- 
ry to  sow  the  seed  and  then  treat  the  plants  in  the 
same  manner  as  if  transplanted  from  the  nursery. 

SOWING    BROAD    CAST. 

Mulberry  seed  may  be  sowed  every  spring,  broad 
cast,  in  well  prepared  ground.  The  next  year,  when 

*3 


30  THE   MULBERRY 

the  plants  are  covered  with  foliage,  they  may  be 
mowed  down,  in  the  same  manner  that  farmers  mow 
small  bushes  in  their  pastures,  and  given  to  the  worms 
for  food.  These  mowings  may  be  repeated  until  the 
stock  becomes  so  exhausted  as  to  be  unable  to  send 
out  shoots,  when  the  land  must  be  seeded  again. — 
This  crop  can  be  daily  made,  except  after  very  dry 
weather,  in  different  portions  of  the  ground,  and  each 
plant  will  bear  to  be  topped  three  times  at  least. 

This  method  has  several  important  advantages. — 
The  leaves  are  gathered  with  trifling  labor  and  ex- 
pense— the  same  area  of  ground  will  produce  more 
foliage — it  enables  the  culturist  to  commence  the  ma- 
king of  silk  in  the  course  of  one  year — tenants  from 
year  to  year,  as  well  as  owners  of  the  soil,  can  secure 
a  yearly  crop  of  silk  and  the  quantity  can  be  increas- 
ed or  diminished  according  to  the  demand. 

This  method  of  sowing  is  practised  extensively  in 
China  and  found  to  answer  a  good  purpose.  It  has 
also  been  successfully  tried  in  New  England  ;  but 
culturists  generally  prefer  standard  trees  or  hedges. 

CHINESE    MULBERRY. 

Of  all  species  and  varieties  of  the  Mulberry  the 
Multicauiis  is  beyond  controversy  the  best  for  the 
culture  of  silk  and  consequently  the  culturist  ought  to 
cultivate  it  extensively  on  his  plantation.  Fears  have 
hitherto  been  entertained  that  it  could  not  endure  the 
severity  of  our  climate ;  but  its  superior  excellence 
has  induced  many  nursery  men  to  experiment  upon 
its  cultivation,  and  their  results  have  afforded  strong 
evidence  that,  with  suitable  location  and  proper  "treat- 
ment, it  may  be  depended  upon,  to  furnish  an  annual 
supply  of  food  for  the  silk  worm.  These  experi- 


THE    MULBERRY    TREE.  31 

ments  have  been  made  in  different  parts  of  the  coun- 
try and  by  different  persons  Among  them  are  Mr. 
Whitmash  and  Dr.  Stebbins,  at  Northampton, — Mr, 
Davenport  at  Colerain, — Mr.  Kenrick  at  Newton  and 
Mr.  Bestor  at  Suffield. 

The  details  and  results  of  the  experiments  of  these 
gentlemen  might  be  interesting,  but  they  are  unne- 
cessary as  they  all  unite  in  one  theory  as  indispensa- 
ble to  a  successful  cultivation  of  this  valuable  variety 
of  the  Mulberry.  This  theory  is  to  force  their  growth 
in  the  forepart  of  the  season  and  check  it  inlhs  latter 
part ;  for  the  purpose  of  giving  the  plants  time  to  har- 
den and  mature,  before  the  commencement  of  the 
succeeding  winter. 

The  Multicaulis  is  a  plant  of  rapid  growth  and  con- 
sequently its  shoots  are  succulent  and  tender  and  li- 
able to  be  destroyed  by  frost,  if  exposed  to  it,  before 
they  have  time  to  harden  and  assume  a  woody  state. 
The  nature  and  habit  of  the  plant  then,  naturally  sug- 
gests the  method  of  cultivation  adapted  to  it,  and  this 
being  corroborated  by  the  results  of  numerous  exper- 
iments, establishes  the  theory  aforesaid  beyond  the 
shadow  of  a  doubt.  The  theory  then,  being  estab- 
lished, that  the  growth  of  the  plant  must  be  forced  in 
the  fore  part  of  the  season,  and  checked  the  latter 
part,  all  that  is  further  necessary  is  to  give  directions 
for  reducing  this  theory  to  practice,  and  the  Multicau- 
lis may  be  as  easily  and  safely  cultivated  as  any  other 
plant. 

To  accomplish  this,  a  soil  must  be  chosen  in  which 
the  plant  can  be  kept  under  the  perfect  control  of  the 
cultivator — where  it  will  grow  luxuriantly  till  about 
the  first  of  August  and  then  cease  growing.  In  select- 
ing soil  for  the  Morus  Multicaulis,  the  cultivator  will 


32  THE    MULBERRY    TREE. 

be  governed  by  the  same  rules  as  for  the  White  Mul- 
berry— dry  sandy  or  loamy  soil ;  except  in  regard  to 
its  fertility.  To  keep  a  plant  under  the  complete  con- 
trol of  the  cultivator,  and  grow  or  not  grow  at  his 
bidding,  it  must  be  set  in  soil  where  it  will  not  grow 
at  all  without  the  aid  of  manure  and  cultivation. 

Select  then  a  soil  too  barren  to  make  the  plant 
grow  at  all,  or,  at  any  rate,  very  slowly,  and  by  the 
application  of  manure  and  frequent  hoeing,  force  its 
growth  as  fast  as  possible  till  the  first  or  middle  of 
August.  At  the  time  you  wish  to  stop  its  growth, 
cease  hoeing  it,  and,  if  the  fertilizing  properties  of  the 
manure  are  exhausted,  it  will  stop  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  commence  hardening  ;  and  by  the  time 
of  severe  frosts,  will  be  in  a  state  of  maturity  to  with- 
stand them.  A  little  experience  will  enable  the  cul- 
tivator to  select  the  most  suitable  kind  of  manure  and 
proportion  it  to  the  object  he  has  in  view. 

The  Multicaulis  is  of  easy  propagation  either  by 
engrafting  or  budding  on  White  Mmulberry  stocks,  or 
by  cuttings  and  layers.  Some  nurserymen  suppose 
it  will  endure  the  winter  better  on  White  stocks  than 
on  its  own  roots ;  but  this  must  be  determined  by 
further  experiments. 

Persons  unacquainted  with  the  cultivation  of  the 
Multicaulis  are  not  aware  of  the  extent  to  which  they 
may  be  multiplied  in  a  single  season.  In  order  to 
chow  the  number  that  may  be  produced  from  a  sin- 
gle tree,  we  would  refer  the  reader  to  the  result  of 
an  experiment  by  Mr.  Bestor,  of  Suffield,  the  present 
year.  He  laid  down  the  branches  of  two  plants  and 
thereby  produced  two  hundred  and  two,  in  addition  to 
the  original  plants.  This  is,  however,  a  very  extra- 
ordinary increase  ;  but  they  may  be  rapidly  multiple 
ed  with  a  very  little  trouble. 


THE    MULBERRY   TREE.  33 

Catlings  take  root  as  readily  as  the  willow,  poplar, 
or  currant,  and  layers  as  surely  as  any  other  tree,  or 
shrub,  that  can  be  propagated  in  the  same  manner. — 
From  the  "  many  stalks"  which  the  roots  shoot  up, 
and  from  which  it  derives  its  name,  it  will  be  seen  that 
it  affords  more  material  for  cuttings  and  layers,  than 
most  other  tress.  In  all  cases  all  the  stalks,  having 
buds  on  them,  may  be  cut  up  into  cuttings  in  the 
spring,  by  which  means  they  will  be  greatly  multipli- 
ed. These  may  be  laid  down  during  the  summer, 
and  doubled  or  trippled,  so  that  by  the  following 
spring  the  cultivator  himself  would  be  astonished  at 
their  increase. 

With  respect  to  propagating  the  Multicaulis  from 
the  seed,  the  question  remains  unsettled.  Dr.  Steb- 
bins  of  Northampton,  has  plants  from  the  seed  which 
he  believes  to  be  the  genuine  Multicaulis,  but  it  must 
be  left  to  time  to  decide  whether  the  same  variety 
can,  in  all  cases  be  depended  on  from  the  seed. 

We  have  but  little  doubt  of  the  ultimate  acclima- 
tion of  the  Chinese  Mulberry  in  this  country,  and  con- 
sider it  of  but  little  consequence  whether  they  can 
or  cannot  be  propagated  from  the  seed  ;  but  should 
it  finally  be  compelled  to  yield  to  the  severity  of  our 
climate,  we  should  still  consider  it  the  most  valuable 
variety  of  the  Mulberry  for  cultivatiou  in  this  coun- 
try. It  is  the  opinion  of  the  most  skilful  and  experi- 
enced cultivators  and  culturists,  that  should  the  shoots 
of  the  Chinese  Mulberry  be  destroyed  by  the  frosts 
of  every  winter,  so  thatnothing  could  be  gathered  from 
the  plants  but  the  foliage  on  the  annual  shoots,  they 
would  be  far  preferable  to  the  White  Mulberry,  as 
more  silk  could  be  made  from  them,  than  from  trees 
of  the  White  eight  and  ten  years  old, 


34  THE    MULBERRY    TREE. 

A  larger  number  of  them  may  also  be  planted  on 
an  acre  of  land.  They  may  be  planted  at  about 
double  the  distance  of  hills  of  Indian  corn,  and  be 
manured  and  cultivated  in  much  the  same  manner. — 
Cultivated  in  this  way,  they  make  a  most  beautiful 
appearance  and  yield  a  large  crop  of  the  very  best 
kind  of  foliage.  We  would,  however,  again  recom- 
mend to  the  culturist,  to  continue  the  cultivation  of  the 
White  Mulberry.  It  is  a  valuable  tree  for  fuel  and 
timber,  and  should  it  finally  turn  out,  from  any  un- 
foreseen cause,  that  the  Chinese  Mulberry  cannot  be 
cultivated  in  this  country,  he  will  still  be  furnished 
with  a  supply  of  food  lor  the  silk  worm,  by  whose  la- 
bor he  can  produce  a  profitable  crop  of  silk. 

An  experiment  is  being  made  at  Manchester,  a 
neighboring  town,  to  produce  two  hundred  pounds  of 
silk  from  an  acre  of  land.  Mr.  Cheeney,  the  experi- 
menter, is  confident  of  success,  and  from  the  outlines 
of  his  plan,  we  think  it  not  impossible.  A  family  of 
worms,  of  sufficient  numbers  to  make  two  hundred 
pounds  of  silk,  will  require,  not  to  exceed  20,000 
pounds  of  foliage  during  the  season  of  feeding ;  and 
Mr.  C.  has  already  ascertained  that  a  Chinese  plant, 
the  second  year,  will  yield  a  pound  and  a  half  of 
leaves. 

Taking  this,  then,  as  the  average  product  of  the 
plants, £he  20,000  pounds  of  food  will  be  gathered 
from  13,325  plants.  This  being  the  fact,  the  only 
difficulty  in  the  case,  if  there  be  any,  is  to  set  that 
number  of  plants  upon  an  acre  at  such  distances  as 
will  admit  of  sufficient  air  and  light  to  cause  a  rapid 
growth,  and  bring  forward  a  perfect  foliage.  '  The 
soil  may  undoubtedly  be  so  highly  charged  with  the 
food  of  plants  as  to  give  them  the  requisite  nutriment 


THE    MULBERRY   TREE.  $5 

during  their  growth ;  but  we  are  not  without  fears, 
with  respect  to  the  admission  of  air  and  light  in  suffi- 
cient quantities  to  bring  them  to  maturity. 

The  experiment,  however,  is  an  interesting  and 
important  one,  and  will  be  thoroughly  tried  by  Mr.  C. 
and  the  result  given  to  the  public.  Should  he  fail  of 
success,  it  ought  not  to  operate  as  a  discouragement 
to  the  cultivators  of  the  Chinese  Mulberry.  Two 
hundred  pounds  of  silk  from  an  acre  is  an  enormous 
crop — it  is  altogether  more  than  has  been  expected 
by  the  most  enthusiastic  culturist,  and  should  one  half 
— one  third,  or  even  one  fourth  of  that  quantity  be  re- 
alized, it  must  be  put  down  as  one  of  the  most  profit- 
able of  crops. 

TRANSPLANTING. 

Trees  intended  for  transplanting  may  be  taken  up 
in  autumn  and  preserved  through  the  winter  with  ve- 
ry little  trouble.  On  this  subject  Mr.  Bestor,  an  ex- 
perienced and  successful  cultivator  of  the  Chinese 
Mulberry,  says : — 

"  Small  Mulberry  trees,  intended  to  be  removed  the 
ensuing  autumn,  should  be  taken  up  soon  after  the  fall 
of  the  leaf,  and  the  roots  carefully  covered  with  san- 
dy loam,  or  a  hole  may  be  dug  in  a  sandy  upland 
where  it  will  not  hold  water,  and  a  layer  of  trees  and 
dirt  alternately  put  in,  and  when  near  the  top  fill  it 
with  dirt,  and  raise  a  mound  over  it  sufficient  to  shed 
the  rains,  and  let  them  remain  until  it  is  time  to  set 
them  out  in  the  spring. 

"  Trees  may  also  be  preserved  good  by  putting 
them  into  a  box,  well  packed  in  dirt,  as  above  men- 
tioned, and  placed  in  the  cellar.  In  all  cases,  care 
should  be  taken  that  the  dirt  comes  in  immediate  con- 


86  THE    MULBERRY   TREE 

tact  with  the  roots  ;  for  if  they  are  crowded  together 
without,  they  will  be  liable  to  heat  and  mould,  and  the 
future  death  of  the  tree  will  be  the  consequence. 

"  Care  also  should  be  taken  that  the  mice  do  not 
harbor  amongst  the  roots,  as  they  are  excessively  fond 
of  them,  and  will  ruin  the  trees;  therefore  no  straw 
ought  to  be  used. 


PART    II. 


THE  SILK  WORM. 

In  order  to  a  skilful  and  successful  rearing  of  the 
Silk  Worm,  it  is  necessary  that  the  culturist  should 
have  a  thorough  knowledge  of  its  nature,  habits  and 
the  diseases  to  which  it  is  liable. 

The  Silk  Worm  (bombyx  mori)  is  a  species  of  the  cat- 
erpillar, which  after  undergoing  several  metamorpho- 
ses becomes  a  moth  like  others  of  the  genus.  The 
color  of  the  Worm  for  the  first  eight  or  ten  days  after 
hatching,  is  an  obscure  black.  It  casts  its  skin  at  sta- 
ted periods,  until  it  has  attained  its  largest  size,  when 
it  becomes  yellow.  It  is  about  three  inches  long 
when  full  grown,  covered  with  scattering  hairs,  and 
has  a  small  fleshy  tubercle  on  the  upper  end  of  the 
last  ring.  After  constructing  its  cocoon,  which  is  usu- 
ally about  the  size  of  a  pigeon's  egg,  and  similar  in 
shape,  it  is  transformed  to  a  chrysalis,  and  subsequent- 
ly to  a  moth.  After  remaining  in  the  cocoon  about 
twenty  days,  it  forces  its  way  out  and  dies  immedi- 
ately after  depositing  its  eggs,  to  the  number  of  five 
hundred  or  more,  which  are  attached  together  by  a 
gummy  substance.  The  several  ages  of  the  Worm 
amount  to  thirty-two  days,  but  have  been  known  to 
extend  to  sixty. 

4 


38  THE    SILK    WORM. 

The  Silk  Worm  undergoes  four  changes  during  its 
brief  existence.  These  are  called  moultings,  and  fol- 
low each  other  at  irregular  periods  depending  on 
climate,  or  temperature,  and  the  quality  and  quantity 
of  the  food  on  which  it  is  fed.  The  periods  of 
moulting  are  also  hastened  or  retarded  by  the  high 
or  low  temperature  in  which  they  have  been  kept  dur- 
ing the  winter.  When  they  have  been  kept  in  a  reg- 
ulated degree  of  temperature,  the  first  moulting  takes 
place  on  the  fourth  or  fifth  day  after  hatching ;  the 
second  on  the  eighth  ;  the  third  on  the  thirteenth  or 
fourteenth ;  and  the  fourth  on  the  twenty-second  or 
twenty-third.  The  time  intervening  between  the 
several  moultings  is  called  the  several  ages  of  the 
Worm.  The  fifth  age  continues  ten  days,  making 
thirty  two  days,  at  the  end  of  which  it  ordinarily  at- 
tains its  full  growth.  The  time  however,  has  been 
protracted  to  sixty  days.  After  it  has  attained  its 
greatest  size,  which  is  about  three  inches  in  length, 
the  silk  gum  is  elaborated  in  the  reservoirs,  the  Worm 
ceases  to  eat  and  soon  diminishes  in  size  and  weight. 

The  vessels  in  wrhich  the  silk  is  elaborated,  consist 
of  two  parallel  tubes  of  the  same  size,  so  very  deli- 
cate, near  their  termination,  as  to  appear  to  unite  in 
one  ;  but  by  immersing  and  hardening  the  insect  in 
spirits  of  wine,  Reaumur  found  that  they  continued 
separate  to  their  ends  and  that  he  could  take  them  out 
entire.  By  the  aid  of  a  microscope  he  foand  that  the 
fibre  of  silk,  minute  as  it  is,  has  more  breadth  than 
thickness,  and  that  in  the  middle  of  each  fibre  there 
was  a  kind  of  furrow,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  two 
flattened  cylinders  glued  together. 


THE    SILK   WORM. 


39 


Eggs. 


First  Age.    | 


Second  Age. 


Third   Age. 


Cocoon.  Moth. 

GROWTH    AND    CHANGES    OF   THE    SILK    WORM. 


40  THE    SILK    WORM. 

The  foregoing  engravings  represent  the  Silk  Worm 
in  its  various  changes  and  sizes  from  the  egg  to  the 
moth.  With  the  aid  of  the  engravings  the  metamor- 
phoses and  growth  of  this  apparently  insignificant  in- 
sect, may  be  easily  traced,  from  its  dormant  state  in 
the  egg  to  the  construction  of  its  cocoon ;  and  from 
thence  to  the  moth,  which  again  deposites  its  eggs 
for  another  generation.  They  are  first  of  a  pale  yel- 
low color,  but  souri  change  to  a  light  slate  and  final- 
ly to  a  dull  brown.  By  the  color  of  the  eggs  it  may 
be  determined  whether  they  are  impregnated.  Such 
as  are  not,  continue  of  the  original  color,  and  conse- 
quently are  worthless.  Those  that  finally  assume  a 
dull  brownish  slate  color,  are  genuine  and  should  be 
preserved. 

DISEASES    OF    THE    SILK    WORM. 

Silk  Worms,  like  other  animals  and  insects,  are  lia- 
ble to  disease  and  subject  to  death.  There  are  six 
diseases  to  which  they  are  liable — The  Passim — The 
Grasserie — The  Lunette — The  Yellows — The  Muscar- 
dine  and  The  Tripes.  The  first  of  these  diseases 
is  attributed  to  the  Worms  being  too  much  heated  in 
their  early  state.  The  symptoms  are  shortness  and 
thinness  of  body  and  a  want  of  vigor,  or  appetite. 
The  remedy  is  to  separate  the  diseased  Worms  from 
the  healthy  ones,  by  putting  them  into  another  room 
well  ventilated,  and  of  a.  little  higher  temperature, 
and  feeding  them  moderately  with  tender  leaves. 

The  Grasserie. — The  period  at  which  the  Worms 
are  most  subject  to  this  disease,  is  before  the  second 
moulting,  and  in  the  third  and  fourth  ages.  It  is 
induced  by  feeding  on  food  too  nourishing  for  their 
digestive  organs.  The  symptoms  are  want  of  diges- 


THE    SILK    WORM.  41 

tion — swollen  bodies  of  an  opaque  form  and  green 
color — tender  skins,  which  break  at  the  least  touch 
and  covered  with  a  viscious  oily  humor.  As  this  dis- 
ease is  occasioned  by  feeding,  its  preventive  and  rem- 
edy is  to  be  found  in  a  contrary  mode  of  treatment. 

The  Lusette. — This  disease  sometimes  attacks  the 
Silk  Worm  in  its  fifth  age.  It  is  supposed  to  be  oc- 
casioned by  being  stinted  in  its  food,  as  the  stomach 
on  dissection  is  found  filled  with  a  glairy  transparent 
fluid,  without  any  remains  of  food.  The  symptoms 
are  a  shining  appearance  of  body  and  an  enlargement 
of  the  head.  This  disease  is  easily  prevented  by  ta- 
king care  that  they  have  a  full  supply  of  food ;  and 
the  only  remedy  for  it  is  separation  from  the  other 
Worms,  and  a  greater  supply  of  food.  Care  must  be 
taken  that  the  food  be  not  given  in  too  large  quantities, 
as  a  disease,  directly  the  reverse,  may  be  the  con- 
sequence, which  will  be  equally  fatal. 

The  Yellows. — This  disease  is  imputed  to  exposure 
to  sudden  and  great  heat.  When  it  attacks  the  Worm 
it  is  generally  toward  the  end  of  the  fifth  age,  when 
it  is  filled  with  the  silky  fluid  and  is  about  to  commence 
spinning.  The  symptoms  are  yellowness  and  swell- 
ing of  the  body — an  enlargement  of  the  rings  and  an 
appearance  of  having  the  feet  drawn  up.  They  also 
cease  to  eat  and  wander  about,  leaving  stains  of  $ 
yellow  fluid  on  whatever  it  touches,  which  exudes 
from  the  body.  The  Worms  soon  become  soft  an4 
burst,  throwing  out  an  acrid  humor,  which  is  sure  to 
kill  every  one  which  comes  in  contact  with  it.  ThU 
is  considered  the  most  fatal  disease  to  which  thq 
Worm  is  liable,  and,  on  account  of  its  contagion,  if 
the  most  to  be  dreaded. 

When  it  makes  its  appearance  in  the  cocoonery,  i( 
*4 


42  THE    SILK    WORM. 

must  be  attended  to  immediately,  or  the  destruction  of 
the  whole  family  may  be  the  consequence.  The  only 
remedy  for  the  diseased  Worms  is  to  remove  them  to 
a  separata  apartment  and  give  them  additional  heat. 
A  change  of  air  and  an  increase  of  heat,  sometimes 
effects  a  cure;  but  far  the  greater  part  that  are  at- 
tacked die.  Early  attention  to  the  diseased  Worms 
will,  however,  generally  prevent  the  spreading  of  the 
disease,  which  is  the  great  object  to  be  accomplished. 
For  this  purpose,  all  dead  and  diseased  Worms  should 
be  speedily  removed  and  the  dead  bodies  carefully 
buried,  to  avoid  their  being  eaten  by  poultry.  In 
1792,  a  family  of  Silk  Worms  in  Bucks  county  Penn- 
sylvania, were  attacked  with  this  disease  and  many 
of  them  died.  The  remainder  were  cured  by  eating 
oak  leaves  which  accidentally  come  in  their  way. 

The  Muscardine. — This  disease  sometimes  attacks 
the  Worm  in  the  fifth  age.  It  is  engendered  by  a 
long  continuance  of  hot,  dry,  close,  or  calm  state  of 
the  atmosphere.  Its  symptoms  are  black  spots  on 
different  parts  of  the  Worm,  which  afterwards  turns 
yellow,  then  red,  or  cinnamon  color,  diffusing  over 
the  whole  body.  The  Worm  finally  becomes  hard 
and  covered  with  a  white  mould  and  dies.  The  only 
remedy  is  to  purify  the  room. 

The  Tripes. — This  disease  is  engendered  by  the 
confined  exhalations  of  the  Worms  and  their  litter. 
When  the  Worms  are  laboring  under  this  disease, 
they  become  flaccid  and  soft,  and  when  dead,  for  a 
time,  retain  the  semblance  of  life  and  health  ;  but 
soon  turn  black  and  become  putrid.  This  is  the  only 
disease  to  which  the  Silk  Worm  is  very  liable  in  this 
country ;  and  this,  it  is  said,  may  be  prevented  by 
the  use  of  chloride  of  lime  in  the  cocoonery.  It  has 


THE    SILK    WORM.  43 

also  been  known  to  arrest  the  disease  after  it  had  be- 
come epidemic  and  threatened  the  destruction  of  the 
whole  family.  It  is  a  cheap  article,  a  dollar's  worth 
being  sufficient  for  a  large  establishment.  The  man- 
ner of  using  it  is  simple.  Put  an  ounce  or  two  on 
plates,  with  a  little  water,  and  set  them  in  different 
parts  of  the  cocoonery,  replenishing  every  four  or 
five  days.  It  may  also  be  put  in  a  jug,  or  demijohn, 
and  a  gallon  of  water  added  for  every  pound.  Sprin- 
kle the  floor  with  a  little  of  this  solution  three  or  four 
times  a  day,  when  there  is  an  offensive  smell  in  the 
room. 

In  very  hot  weather,  when  it  would  be  unsafe  to 
cool  the  room  by  sprinkling  cold  water  on  the  floor, 

Si  consequence  of  the  vapor  evolved,)  it  will  be  of 
e  greatest  importance  to  have  this  solution,  as  it 
may  be  sufely  used.  Should  they,  however,  after  all 
these  precautions,  become  diseased,  the  only  remedy 
is  to  purify  the  air  of  the  cocoonery,  or  convey  them 
to  another  apartment. 

We  have  been  thus  particular  in  the  description  of 
the  diseases  of  the  Silk  Worm,  not  because  they  are 
peculiarly  liable  to  disease,  but  that  the  culturist 
should  have  a  knowledge  of  them,  should  they  appear, 
which  is  not  much  to  be  feared  if  the  proper  precau- 
tions and  preventives  are  duly  regarded. 

THE    COCOONERY. 

For  the  accommodation  of  the  Worms  during  the 
season  of  feeding  and  making  their  cocoons,  a  labra- 
tory,  or,  as  it  is  of  late,  more  commonly  called,  a  co- 
coonery, must  be  provided.  Every  thing,  however, 
that  is  indispensable,  is  to  have  a  building  inclosed  in 
§uch  manner  as  to  exclude  the  rain  and  chilling  winds. 


44  THE    SILK    WORM. 

If  a  building  has  not  been  erected  expressly  for  tho 
purpose,  which,  however,  may  be  done  at  a  small  ex- 
pense, barns,  stables  and  other  out  houses,  or  unoccu- 
pied rooms  in  a  dwelling  house,  may  be  easily  fitted 
up  for  temporary  use.  They  must  be  furnished  with 
shelves,  or  tables,  on  which  the  Worms  are  to  be  pla- 
ced and  fed. 

Cocooneries  have  been  furnished  in  various  ways; 
but  the  following  is  perhaps  attended  with  as  little  ex- 
pense, as  any  that  have  been  adopted.  It  is  recom- 
mended by  Mr.  Cobb  of  Dedham,  who  thus  describes 
it:  "I  have  used  three  tiers  of  rough  pine  boards, 
fixed  upon  upright  posts,  about  four  feet  in  width,  one 
above  the  other,  with  a  space  between  of  two  and  a 
half  feet,  affording  room  sufficient  to  pass  all  around 
the  frame,  so  that  I  could  reach  any  part  of  it.  In 
making  the  shelves  it  is  well  to  have  the  lowest  one 
six  inches  broader  than  the  one  above  it,  and  to  make 
the  same  difference  in  the  shelves  above,  so  as  to  break 
the  fall  of  such  Worms  as  happen  to  tumble  down." 
Mr  C.  also  describes  another  method  of  constructing 
shelves,  which  he  saw  in  the  nursery  of  Mr.  Smith  of 
Baltimore,  which:  he  thinks  a  very  good  one.  He 
says,  "  it  is  about  two  and  a  half  feet  wide,  by  five  or 
six  long,  made  of  thin  boards,  with  a  piece  two  inches 
wide  nailed  flat  on  the  upper  edge  along  the  sides  and 
ends,  with  legs  about  a  foot  long  in  the  corners.  The 
legs  do  not  pass  through  the  table,  but  leave  a  part  of 
the  hole  on  the  upper  side  for  the  feet  of  another  table 
to  set  in.  Thus  contrived,  five  or  six  of  these  tables 
are  set  one  above  another,  and  are  taken  down,  cleans- 
ed and  again  set  up  with  facility.  One  of  these 
shelves  will  accommodate  500  Worms."  He  also 
recommends  putting  old  newspapers  on  the  shelves, 


THE    SILK    WORM.  45 

which  may  be  taken  off  whenever  it  is  necessary  to 
clean  the  Worms,  and  then  be  replaced. 


HATCHING. 

Having  a  stock  of  Mulberry  trees  and  a  cocoonery 
conveniently  fitted  up,  the  culturist  has  arrived  at  the 
point  where  he  is  prepared  to  commence  operations 
in  the  delightful  task  of  rearing  the  Silk  Worm.  The 
first  step  in  the  process  is  to  hatch  the  eggs ;  and 
here  we  would  caution  the  culturist  against  being 
deluded  and  discouraged  by  the  particularity  and 
apparent  difficulty  of  the  Italian  process.  It  was 
our  avowed  intention  in  the  commencement  of  this 
little  manual  to  give  the  practical  culturist  "a prac- 
tical treatise  on  the  culture  of  silk,  adapted  to  the 
climate  and  soil  of  the  United  States,"  without  refer- 
ence to  the  soils  and  climates  of  other  countries  less 
adapted  to  the  same  object.  Hence  we  have  studi- 
ously avoided  noticing  the  peculiar  manner  in  which 
the  tree  is  cultivated  in  the  silk  growing  districts  of 
Europe  and  Asia  for  the  purpose  of  freeing  the  sub- 
ject of  every  difficulty  with  which  it  might  seem  to  be 
embarrassed.  In  giving  directions  for  rearing  the 
Silk  Worm  and  making  Silk,  we  shall  endeavor  to 
regard  the  same  object. 

ITALIAN    PROCESS. 

We  will,  however,  give  the  Italian  process  of 
hatching  the  eggs,  not  on  account  of  its  necessity  in 
this  country;  but  to  show  the  American  culturist,  the 
advantages  he  possesses  over  the  Italian,  for  a  profit- 
able production  of  silk.  These  directions  are  copied 


46  THE    SILK    WORM. 

from  Mr.  Rhind's  instructions  in  the  art  of  managing 
Silk  Worms  in  Italy. 

"  The  temperature  of  the  chamber  near  the  place 
where  the  eggs  are  put,  should  be  63J  degrees  ;  this 
is  obtained  by  increasing  the  fire,  should  the  tempera- 
ture be  less,  and  by  opening  the  ventilator,  and  even 
the  door,  should  it  be  greater.  This  temperature 
should  be  observed  two  consecutive  days.  On  the 
third  day,  the  temperature  is  raised  to  66 ;  on  the 
fourth  to  68  ;  on  the  fifth  to  70  ;  on  the  sixth  to  72  ; 
on  the  seventh  to  75  ;  on  the  eighth  to  77  ;  on  the 
ninth  to  79;  and  on  the  tenth,  eleventh,  and  twelfth, 
to  81  degress." 

Whatever  artificial  heat  may  be  necessary  for 
hatching  and'rearing  Silk  Worms  in  Italy,  or  other 
countries,  our  climate  is  so  congenial  to  their  growth 
and  health,  that  nothing  of  the  kind  is  wanted.  Indeed 
a  resort  to  it  would  be  injurious  rather  than  benefi- 
cial. All  that  is  necessary  here,  is  to  expose  the  eggs 
to  the  ordinary  heat  of  a  common  sitting  room,  and  in 
due  time  they  will  hatch,  and  require  a  little  of  your 
time  and  attention  in  procuring  them  food  and  clean- 
sing their  cocoonery,  and  they  will  make  you  an 
abundant  crop  of  silk. 

TIME    OF    HATCHING. 

The  proper  time  for  hatching  the  eggs  is  always 
determined  by  the  advance  of  the  season.  In  New 
England  and  kindred  climates,  the  season  is  ordinarily 
sufficiently  advanced  by  the  latter  part  of  May.  The 
only  sure  criterion,  however,  is  the  leaves  of  the 
Mulberry — and  hence  the  maxim  among  culturists, 
that  "  it  is  time  to  hatch  the  eggs  when  the  leaves  of 
the  Mulberry  are  about  the  size  of  your  thumb  nail/ 


THE    SILK   WORM.  47 

When  the  leaves  have  attained  this  size,  the  papers, 
on  which  the  eggs  are  laid,  are  to  be  brought  from 
the  cellar  where  they  have  been  deposited  for  safe 
keeping  through  the  winter,  and  exposed  to  the  action 
of  the  atmosphere  of  the  sitting  room.  In  a  day  or 
two  the  Worms  will  begin  to  appear,  and  must  be 
immediately  fed  with  the  young  and  tender  foliage 
of  the  Mulberry.  This  is  done  by  laying  the  leaves 
upon  them,  to  which  they  will  cling  and  commence 
eating.  Care  should  be  taken  to  classify  the  Worms 
according  to  the  time  of  hatching,  keeping  those 
which  hatch  about  the  same  time  in  distinct  classes  ; 
this  will  produce  more  uniformity  in  their  future  ope- 
rations. While  they  are  upon  the  leaves  at  the  first 
feeding,  they  should  be  removed  to  the  shelves  in- 
tended for  their  future  use.  This  is  easily  done  by 
taking  the  leaf  by  the  stem  and  carrying  them  to  the 
cocoonery. 

SPACE    REQUIRED. 

The  health  of  the  Worms  and  the  product  of  their 
labor  depend  materially  upon  their  having  sufficient 
room  allotted  them  during  their  several  ages.  As 
they  increase  in  size,  it  is  manifest  more  room  must 
be  given  them,  or  they  will  become  crowded,  diseased, 
and  either  die,  or  perform  their  labor  like  a  sickly  and 
feeble  man,  or  animal. 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  prescribe  the  space  ne- 
cessary with  mathematical  accuracy ;  but  as  a  general 
rule,  the  Worms  should  never  be  permitted  to  come 
in  contact  with  each  other  during  any  period  of  their 
lives.  Mr.  Cobb,  who  has  much  practical  and  scien- 
tific knowledge  on  the  subject,  says : — "  It  is  calcu- 
lated the  Worms  proceeding  from  one  ounce  of 


48  THE    SILK    WORM. 

eggs,  which  in  number  are  estimated  at  35  or  40,000, 
should  have  space  on  the  shelves, 

sq.  feet.        inches. 

In  the  1  st  age  of  -     -     -     -       7  4 

In  the  2d  age  of     -     -     -       14  8 

In  the  3d  age  of  -     -     -     -     S4  10 

In  the  4th  age  of   -     -     -       82  6 

In  the  5th  age  of      -     -     -  183  4" 

A  little  experience  and  observation,  however,  will 
be  the  best  guide  for  the  culturist  with  regard  to 
the  space,  and  many  other  matters  which  cannot  be 
fully  given  in  a  general  treatise. 

FEEDING. 

The  Worms  being  .placed  upon  the  shelves,  they 
must  now  be  fed  three  times  a  day,  and  care  must  be 
taken  that  the  foliage  be  in  good  order.  The  leaves 
should  never  be  picked  when  they  are  wet  with  rain 
or  the  morning  dew,  unless  it  be  in  cases  of  absolute 
necessity  ;  and  then  they  must  be  thoroughly  dried 
before  they  are  given  to  the  Worms.  As  the  leaves 
must  not  be  wet,  so  neither  must  they  be  wilted,  for 
in  either  case  they  will  make  the  Worms  feeble  and 
diseased.  To  prevent  this,  care  must  be  taken,  on 
the  approach  of  wet  weather,  to  lay  in  a  supply  until 
the  re-appearance  of  the  sun.  In  order  that  the  leaves 
may  be  kept  without  wilting,  they  should  be  closed  in 
a  glazed  vessel,  or  carried  into  a  cellar  or  other  cool 
place.  M.  D'Homergue  recommends  putting  them 
under  cover,  on  a  brick  pavement,  or  graveled  floor, 
and  removing  them  three  or  four  times  a  day  lest 
they  contract  moisture.  In  this  manner,  he  says, 
they  may  be  kept  three  or  four  days. 


THE   SILK    WORM.  49 

In  feeding  "Worms  care  should  be  taken  not  to  give 
them  too  many  leaves  at  a  time,  and  to  lay  them  thin 
upon  them.  If  laid  too  thick,  many  of  the  Worms 
will  be  carried  off  with  the  litter  and  destroyed. 
During  the  first  age  of  the  Worm,  the  tenderest 
leaves  should  be  selected  for  them,  and  those  on 
young  trees  are  better  than  those  on  older  ones. 
Some  cultivators  sow  the  seed  every  year  for  the 
purpose  of  having  tender  leaves  for  the  young  Worms, 
and  all  would  find  it  materially  for  their  advantage. 

Leaves  from  young  plants  are  preferable  to  those 
from  older  ones,  during  the  second  age.  As  the  Silk 
Worm  is  tenacious  of  cleanliness,  care  must  be  taken 
to  remove  all  the  litter  which  they  make.  This  may 
easily  be  done  by  scattering  fresh  leaves  on  the  cor- 
ner of  the  shelf  to  .which  the  Worms  will  readily  at- 
tach themselves.  When  they  have  thus  attached 
themselves,  take  up  the  leaves  to  which  they  cling, 
leaving  the  litter  underneaih,  and  place  them  in  a 
clean  place.  After  removing  the  litter,  they  may  be 
re-placed  in  the  same  manner.  Some  lay  the  Worms 
on  sheets  of  paper.  In  that  case,  it  is  easy  to  take 
out  the  paper,  lay  it  on  a  table,  or  shelf,  and  carry 
the  Worms  to  another  sheet  placed  on  the  shelf  af- 
ter cleaning  it. 

Full  grown  leaves,  from  the  largest  trees  may  be 
given  during  the  third  age,  and  the  litter  should  be 
removed  every  day  All  dead  and  diseased  Worms 
should  be  immediately  removed  or  they  will  endan- 
ger the  health  of  the  others.  When  the  Worms  are 
sick  and  are  about  changing  their  skins,  they  hold  up 
their  heads,  are  stupid  and  appear  to  be  asleep.  This 
ought  to  be  particularly  noticed  for  at  such  times  they 
should  be  fed  sparingly.  The  diseases  of  Silk  Worms, 
5 


50  THE    SILK    WORM. 

as  has  already  been  remarked,  are  in  general  the  con- 
sequence of  want  of  sufficent  air  arid  space — being 
suffered  to  get  wet — being  fed  on  damp  or  wilted 
leaves  and  not  being  kept  clean.  The  preventives  of 
disease,  are  to  prevent  the  causes  which  produce  it. 
Give  them  room  and  air — keep  them  dry — feed  them 
on  fresh  leaves  and  keep  them  clean.  If  the  cocoon- 
ery is  fitted  up  with  glass  windows,  they  should  be 
partially  darkened  during  the  silk  season,  as  the 
Worms  do  not  work  as  well  in  a  full  blaze  of  light. 

As  rats,  mice,  spiders,  ants  and  fowls  will  destroy 
the  Worms,  care  must  be  taken  to  prevent  their  hav- 
ing access  to  them.  In  some  cocooneries,  a  space  of 
several  inches  is  left  between  the  shelves  and  the 
walls,  and  the  legs,  or  posts,  by  which  they  are  sup- 
ported, are  tarred  to  prevent  the  attack  of  these  ene- 
mies. 

The  destruction  of  the  Worms  by  ants,  has  been 
prevented  by  placing  lemon  juice  about  the  shelves 
and  cracks  where  they  make  their  appearance.  In 
some  cocooneries,  streaks  of  thick  molasses  are  made 
around  the  lower  part  of  the  post  to  prevent  their  as- 
cending. In  others,  the  legs  of  tables  are  placed  in 
plates  or  bowls  of  water  for  the  same  purpose. 

The  smoking  of  tobacco  must  also  be  forbidden  in 
the  cocoonery,  as  it  will  endanger  the  health  and  may 
destroy  the  lives  of  the  Worms.  In  the  filth  age, 
the  Worms  must  be  fed  during  the  night,  or  a  double 
portion  of  leaves  given  them  at  the  last  feeding. 


THE    SILK    WORM. 


FEEDING    SHELVES, 

The  foregoing  engraving  represents  the  feeding 
shelves  and  the  manner  in  which  they  are  arranged, 
and  supported.  '  We  think  having  the  shelves  of  a 
width,  an  improvement  on  Mr.  Cobbs  plan,  as  they 
will  accommodate  more  Worms,  and  their  falling  may 
easily  be  prevented  by  having  a  cleet  on  the  sides. — 
This  may  be  done  by  nailing  a  thin  piece  of  board  up- 
on each  edge  and  letting  it  rise  an  inch  above  the  sur- 
face. The  width  of  th ;  shelves  should  be  such  as  to 
render  the  feeding  convenient  by  laying  in  leaves  on 
both  sides.  If  they  are  to  be  attended  by  children 
they  should  be  of  less  width  than  if  by  adults.  As 
economy  in  room  is  an  object,  it  is  believed  a  foot 
space  between  the  shelves  will  answer  every  purpose. 
The  length  of  the  shelves  will,  of  course,  be  according 
to  the  size  of  the  room,  and  after  the  Worms  have 


52  THE    SILK    WORM. 

finished  their  work,  they  may  be  taken  down  and  kept 
under  cover  for  future  use.  With  proper  care,  the 
furniture  of  a  cocoonery  may  be  made  to  last  an  age. 

In  Turkey,  Mr.  Rhind  says,  "  At  the  commence- 
ment of  the  season  almost  every  family  clear  out  all 
the  rooms  in  the  house  except  one  in  which  they  live, 
during  the  crop  season ;  the  Worms  being  produced, 
they  purchase  a  quantity  of  leaves  und  strew  them 
over  the  floor  of  each  room,  leaving  a  small  space 
next  the  wall,  that  they  may  walk  round  and  distribute 
the  leaves  ;  they  then  place  the  Worms  on  the  leaves, 
who  readily  attack  them,  and  then  daily  throw  on 
such  a  quantity  as  experience  teaches  them  will  eup- 
ply  the  want  of  the  Worms,  and  this  they  repeat  un- 
til the  Worms  are  ready  to  rise  and  wind  the  cocoon, 
without  ever  removing  the  offal  or  stems,  and  fre- 
quently the  pile  of  collected  matter  will  reach  the 
height  of  three  or  four  feet." 

This  slovenly  mode  of  feeding  has  never,  to  our 
knowledge,  been  attempted  in  this  country,  and  there 
appear  to  be  substantial  reasons,  other  than  the  health 
and  comfort  of  the  Worms,  why  it  should  not  be 
adopted.  But  the  promotion  of  their  health  and  com- 
fort, is  of  itself,  a  sufficient  reason  for  rejecting  this 
method,  especially  when  the  health  and  enjoyment 
of  the  feeders  are  taken  in  connexion  with  it,  and  are 
duly  regarded.  The  exhalations  arising  from  the 
litter  &c.  must  be  very  offensive  and  deleterious  to 
health. 

WEIGHT    OF    FOOD. 

Various  estimates  have  been  made  of  the  weight 
of  food  consumed  by  the  Silk  Worm,  and  the  product 
of  silk  received  in  return.  Among  them  is  that  of 


THE    SILK   WORM.  53 

Count  Dandolo,  who  calculates  that  200,000  Worms 
will  consume  7,000  Ibs.  of  leaves  and  that  21  Ibs.  of 
leaves  will  make  I  Ib.  of  cococns. 

Count  de  Hazzi  calculates  that  the  same  number 
of  Worms  will  require  10,000  Ibs.  of  leaves  in  the  fol- 
lowing proportions.  In  the  first  age,  50  Ibs. ;  2nd, 
150  Ibs. ;  3d,  460  Ibs. ;  4th.  1390  Ibs. ;  5th,  7950. 

M.  Bonafous,  says  that  200,000  Worms  were  sus- 
tained by  72 17  Ibs.  leaves.     The  quantity,  however, 
fiven  them  between  their  regular  meals  was  not  ta- 
en  into  the  account,  and  the  leaves  were  chopped 
during  the  first  stages,  which  enables  the  Worm  to 
consume  them  with  Jess  waste. 

Estimates  have  also  been  made  of  the  daily  con- 
sumption of  food  by  the  Worms,  proceeding  from 
five  ounces  of  eg;gs,  (from  175  to  200,000  in  number) 
each  day  of  their  different  ages.  Though  we  have 
not  much  faith  in  feeding  Worms  by  arbitrary  math- 
ematical rules ;  yet  as  they  may  be  of  some  practical 
use  to  the  culturist,  in  ascertaining  the  amount  of  food 
necessary  to  be  provided  for  his  family  of  Worms, 
we  give  them,  in  brief  extracts,  from  the  manual  pub- 
lished by  authority  of  Congress  in  1828.  In  doing 
this,  we  shall  give  the  amount  prescribed,  on  each 
consecutive  day  of  their  life,  without  regard  to  the 
day  of  their  respective  ages. 

1st  day. — The  first  day  after  coming  forth,  and  the 
distribution  of  the  Silk  Worms,  they  should  be  given 
in  four  meals,  about  three  pounds  three  quarters  of 
single  solt  leaves,  chopped  very  small,  dividing  the 
time,  so  as  to  allow  six  hours  between  each  meal ; 
giving  the  smallest  quantity  for  the  first  feeding,  and 
gradually  increasing  the  quantity  at  each  meal. 

2d  day. — On  this  day,  about  six  pounds  will  be 
*5 


54  THE    SILK   WORM. 

needed,  chopped  very  small.  This  will  suffice  for  the 
four  regular  meals,  the  first  of  which  should  be  the 
least,  increasing  them  as  they  proceed,  as  was  done 
in  the  meals  oi  the  first  day. 

3d  day — This  day,  twelve  pounds  soft  leaves, 
chopped  very  small,  will  be  required  for  the  four 
meals.  The  Worms  will  now  feed  with  avidity. 

4th  day. — This  day,  six  pounds  twelve  ounces  of 
chopped  leaves  should  be  given.  For  the  quantity 
should  be  diminished,  as  the  appetite  increases.  The 
first  meal  should  be  of  about  two  pounds  four  ounces 
and  the  other  meals  should  decrease  in  proportion  as 
the  quantity  of  leaves  given  before,  appears  not  to 
have  been  thoroughly  eaten. 

5th  day. — This  day,  one  pound  and  a  half  of  young 
leaves,  chopped  small,  will  be  about  sufficient.  They 
should  be  scattered  very  lightly  several  times  in  the 
day,  on  the  sheets  of  paper,  where  there  appears  still 
to  beiJVorms  feeding.  Should  the  Worms  have  left 
off  feeding,  it  would  be  unnecessary  to  distribute  any 
further  quantity.  Towards  the  end  of  this  day,  the 
Worms  are  torpid  ;  a  few  begin  to  revive. 

6th  day. — For  this  day,  will  be  needed  nine  pounds 
of  tender  shoots,  and  nine  pounds  of  Mulberry  leaves, 
well  picked,  and  chopped  small. 

11th  day. — This  day,  will  be  required  about  thirty 
pounds  of  chopped  leaves.  This  quantity,  divided 
into  four  portions,  should  be  given  at  intervals  of  six 
hours,  the  two  first  meals  less  plentiful  than  the  two 
remaining. 

8^  day. — This  day,  thirty  three  pounds  of  chop- 
ped leaves,  well  picked,  will  be  necessary,  and  this 
time  the  two  first  meals  should  be  the  largest. 

9th  day. — This  day,  only  nine  pounds  of  picked 


THE    SILK    WORM.  &5 

leaves,  chopped  small,  will  be  required.  The  Worms 
sink  into  torpor,  and  the  next  day,  they  will  have  cast 
their  skins. 

10th  day. — This  day,  fifteen  pounds  of  the  small 
shoots,  will  be  necessary,  and  equally  as  much  of  the 
picked  leaves,  chopped  rather  less  than  hitherto. 

llth  day. — This  day,  ninety  pounds  of  leaves, 
chopped,  will  be  needed.  The  two  first  meals,  the 
least  copious,  because  towards  the  close  of  the  day, 
the  Worms  grow  voraciously  hungry. 

12th  day. — This  day,  there  should  be  given  ninety 
seven  pounds  of  picked  leaves,  chopped,  divided  into 
four  meals — the  three  first  meals  the  most  plentiful. 
Towards  evening  the  hunger  of  the  Worm  decreases; 
consequently  the  last,  should  be  the  least  meal. 

13/A  day. — This  day,  about  fifty  two  pounds  and 
a  half  of  chopped  leaves,  will  be  sufficient.  The  de- 
crease of  food  is  in  consequence  of  the  diminution  of 
appetite.  They  should  have  four  meals,  the  largest 
first ;  and  the  last  the  least  meal.  Those  only  that 
seem  to  require  it,  should  be  fed. 

142/4  day. — This  day,  twenty  seven  pounds  of 
picked  leaves,  chopped,  will  be  about  the  quantity  ; 
if  not  enough,  more  may  be  added  ;  if  too  much,  less 
given. 

15th  day. — On  this  day,  the  Worms  begin  to  rouse, 
and  thus  accomplish  the  third  age.  The  general 
view  of  this  age  presents  the  following  result.  In  six 
days  the  Worm  goes  through  its  third  age.  In  this 
age,  those  Worms  proceeding  from  five  ounces  of 
eggs,  have  consumed  nearly  three  hundred  pounds  of 
leaves  and  young  shoots. 

1  Gth  day. — On  this  day,  thirty  seven  and  a  half 
pounds  of  the  young  shoots  will  be  needed,  and  sixty 


66  THE    SILK    WORM. 

pounds  of  picked  leaves,  coarsely  chopped  with  a 
large  blade. 

If  ih  day. — For  this  day,  will  be  wanted  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  five  pounds  of  sorted  leaves  ;  a  little 
cut.  The  two  first  meals  ought  to  be  the  lightest ; 
the  last  most  copious. 

ISth  day. — For  this  day,  will  be  needed  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  five  pounds  of  sorted  leaves,  a  little 
cut.  The  two  first  meals  ought  to  be  the  most  plen- 
tiful ;  the  last  meal  to  be  about  seventy  five  pounds. 

19^  day. — This  day,  the  distribution  of  the  cut 
leaves  should  be  two  hundred  and  fifty  five  pounds  ; 
the  three  first  meals  of  about  seventy  five  pounds 
each — the  fourth  of  forty  five  pounds  only. 

20th  day. — No  more  than  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty eight  pounds  of  picked  leaves,  will  be  needed  this 
day ;  because  the  Worm's  hunger  diminishes  much. 
The  first  meal  should  be  the  most  considerable. 

2 1st  day. — Thirty  five  pounds  of  picked  leaves, 
are  enough  for  this  day.  It  is  easy  to  find  out  when 
and  in  what  quantities,  the  Worms  need  feed. 

22d  day. — The  Worms  rouse  in  this  day  and  ac- 
complish their  fourth  age.  In  about  seven  days,  the 
Worms  have  accomplished  their  fourth  moulting  and 
cast  their  skins.  They  have  consumed  in  that  peri- 
od two  hundred  and  seven  pounds  of  leaves,  for  each 
ounce  of  eggs. 

23d  day. — Since  the  proceeding  day,  almost  all 
the  Worms  must  have  accomplished  their  fourth 
moulting,  or  casting  of  skin,  and  be  already  roused. — 
The  Worms  proceeding  from  one  ounce  of  eggs,  in 
the  fifth  age,  consume  about  1,098  pounds  of  sorted, 
picked  leaves,  which  makes  the  quantity  of  leaves  re- 
quired for  the  five  ounces,  to  be  5,490  pounds  weight. 


THE   SILK   WORM.  57 

24th  day. — For  this  day,  will  be  wanted  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy  pounds  of  leaves,  sorted,  divided  in- 
to four  feeds  ;  the  first  which  should  be  the  least,  of 
about  fifty  two  pounds,  and  the  last,  which  is  the 
most  plentiful,  of  ninety  seven  pounds. 

25/7i  day. — This  day,  the  Worms  will  require 
about  four  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  of  sorted 
leaves.  The  first  feed  should  be  of  seventy  seven 
pounds ;  the  last  feed  should  be  the  largest,  and  of 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds. 

2Gth  day. — This  day,  the  Worms  will  want  five  hun- 
dred and  forty  pounds  weight  of  sorted  leaves.  The 
first  feed  should  be  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds 
and  the  last  of  one  hundred  and  fifty. 

21th  day. — The  Worms  will  this  day,  want  eight 
hundred  and  ten  pounds  of  picked  leaves.  The  first 
feed  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  and  the  last 
meal  of  two  hundred  and  ten  pounds. 

28th  day. — This  day,  the  Worms  should  have  nino 
hundred  and  seventy  five  pounds  of  picked  leaves, 
divided  into  five  feeds ;  the  last  of  which  should  be 
most  plentiful. 

2Qth  day. — The  Worms  will  require  this  day,  nine 
hundred  pounds  of  well  sorted  leaves.  The  first  meal 
should  be  the  largest,  and  those  following  should  di- 
minish. Should  there  be  any  intermediate  meals 
wanted,  they  must  bo  given  as  before. 

30^  day. — The  Worms  this  day,  must  have  six 
hundred  arid  sixty  pounds  of  well  sorted  leaves.  The 
proportion  of  leaves  must  diminish  as  the  appetite  of 
the  Worms  decreases  much.  The  food  must,  as  usu- 
al, be  divided  into  four  messes.  The  largest  meal 
given  first,  and  gradually  diminishing.  The  first  meal 
ihould  be  two  hundred  and  ten  pounds. 


58  THE    SILK    WORM. 

31st  day. — The  Worms  this  day,  need  four  hun- 
dred and  ninety  five  pounds  of  leaves,  which  must  be 
distributed  as  it  may  be  wanted. 

32d  day. — This  last  day,  they  attain  perfection, 
which  may  be  ascertained  by  the  following  indica- 
tions. 

1st.  When,  on  putting  some  leaves  on  the  wickers, 
the  insects  get  upon  the  leaves  without  eating  them, 
and  rear  their  heads  as  if  in  search  of  something  else. 

2nd.  When,  on  looking  at  them  horizontally,  the 
light  shines  through  them,  and  they  appear  of  a  whitish 
yellow  transparent  color. 

3rd.  When  numbers  of  the  Worms,  which  were 
fastened  to  the  inside  of  the  edges  of  the  wickers,  and 
straightened,  now  get  upon  the  edges,  and  move  slow- 
ly along,  instinct  urging  them  to  seek  change  of  place. 

4th.  When  numbers  of  Worms  leave  the  centre  of 
the  wickers  and  try  to  reach  the  edges,  and  crawl  up 
upon  them. 

5th.  When  their  rings  draw  in,  and  their  greenish 
color  changes  to  a  deep  golden  hue. 

6th.  When  their  skins  become  wrinkled  about  the 
neck,  and  their  bodies  have  more  softness  to  the  touch 
than  heretofore,  and  feel  like  soft  dough. 

7th.  When,  in  taking  a  Worm  in  the  hand  and 
looking  through  it,  the  whole  body  has  assumed  the 
transparency  of  a  ripe  yellow  plum,  When  these 
signs  appear  in  any  of  the  Worms,  every  thing  should 
be  prepared  for  their  rising,  that  those  Worms  which 
are  ready  to  rise  may  not  lose  their  strength  and  silk 
in  seeking  for  the  support  they  require. 

This  day,  the  two  hundred  and  forty  pounds  of  sor- 
ted leaves,  which  are  still  in  reserve,  should  be  given 
b  y  degrees,  and  according  to  their  wants.  The  little 


THE    SILK    WORM.  59 

appetite  of  the  silk  Worm,  and  their  wish  to  rise  upon 
the  leaves,  prove  that,  even  were  they  given  more 
food  at  one  time,  it  would  only  add  to  the  little  which 
would  become  dirty,  because  this  is  the  period  at 
which  they  evacuate  most.  From  this,  it  is  better 
rather  to  stint  them  in  each  distribution.  The  hours 
of  feeding  cannot  be  fixed  in  this  last  day  ;  it  cannot 
even  be  known,  whether  there  may  not  be  required  a 
small  quantity  of  leaves  for  the  following  day. 

In  giving  the  foregoing  estimates  of  the  daily 
amount  of  food  consumed,  and  directions  for  feeding, 
we  must  be  understood  as  giving  the  estimates  and 
directions  of  foreign  culturists,  and  not  our  own. — 
They  may  be  of  some  use  to  the  American  culturist 
in  several  points  of  light ;  but  we  cannot  recommend 
a  literal  observance  of  them  in  this  country.  It  will 
be  noticed,  that,  on  most  of  the  days  of  feeding,  the 
leaves  are  to  be  sorted  and  chopped.  Chopping,  in 
this  country,  is  unnecessary,  and  sorting  is  never 
done,  except  in  the  early  ages  of  the  Worms,  when 
they  require  tender  leaves,  The  voluminous  direc- 
tions for  feeding  and  rearing  Worms,  may  all  be  sum- 
med up  in  the  following — feed  well,  keep  them  clean 
anddry,  and  see  that  the  cocoonery  is  well  ventilated. 

MAKING    COCOONS. 

The  Worms  having  arrived  to  maturity,  all  that 
remains  for  them  to  do,  is  to  make  their  cocoons  ; 
and  to  enable  them  to  do  this,  they  must  be  furnished 
with  suitable  accommodations  for  that  purpose.  Va- 
rious plans  have  been  contrived,  but  the  method  most 
commonly  adopted,  is  to  make  them  little  arches,  or 
cabins,  of  brushwood  or  broom  corn.  Several  days 
before  the  time  of  rising,  branches,  with  spreading 


60  THE    SILK    WORM. 

tops,  of  chesnut,  hickory,  oak,  or  birch,  are  to  be  pro- 
cured and  brought  to  the  cocoonery.  As  soon  as  the 
Worms  give  indications  of  rising,  these  are  set  be- 
tween the  shelves,  with  their  twigs  upwards.  They 
should  be  cut  at  proper  lengths  to  press  against  the 
top  of  the  bottom  shelf  and  the  bottom  of  the  one 
next  above  it,  in  order  that  they  may  keep  their 
places  while  the  Worms  are  upon  them.  To  prevent 
the  Worms  from  falling  off  they  should  also  stand 
considerably  out  of  perpendicular.  Broom  corn  is 
also  used  in  the  same  manner.  The  arches  or  cabins 
being  thus  prepared  the  Worms  readily  climb  them 
and  make  their  cocoons. 

At  the  end  of  twenty-four  hours,  after  the  com- 
mencement of  rising,  the  principal  part  of  the  Worms 
will  be  found  to  have  mounted.  Should  any  re- 
main, as  they  probably  will,  without  any  signs  of  a 
disposition  to  rise,  they  should  be  removed  to  anoth- 
er room  of  a  little  higher  temperature,  and  furnished 
with  brush  or  broom  corn  as  aforesaid.  This  remov- 
al will  generally  cause  some  of  them  to  rise  immedi- 
ately ;  others  will  eat  and  then  rise,  and  so  on  till  all 
will  have  risen.  The  Worms  are  three  or  four  days 
in  making  their  cocoons,  and  at  the  end  of  eight  days, 
generally,  all  will  have  risen  and  completed  their 
work. 

GATHERING    COCOONS. 

In  taking  the  cocoons  from  the  brush  care  must  be 
taken  that  they  be  not  injured  by  either  compressing 
them  in  the  hand  or  mutilating  them  in  detaching 
them  from  the  bushes.  In  gathering  them,  begin  on 
the  lower  shelf,  and  take  them  down  gently,  and  pass 
them  to  those  who  are  to  gather  the  cocoons.  Place 


THE    SILK   WORM.  6l 

a  basket  between  two  of  the  gatherers,  to  receive  the 
cocoons.  Another  person  may  receive  the  stripped 
bushes,  which  may  be  laid  by  for  another  year's  use. 

PRESERVING    EGGS. 

The  cocoons  selected  for  seed  should  be  firm  and 
of  the  largest  size.  After  having  stripped  the  floss 
from  them,  they  should  be  strung  together  and  hung 
up  in  a  warm  airy  room  or  chamber,  partially  darken- 
ed. In  about  two  weeks  from  winding,  the  moths 
will  emerge  from  the  cocoons.  The  male  is  known 
by  its  smaller  size  and  continual  fluttering  of  its  wings. 
After  having  been  paired  and  remained  together  dur- 
ing the  day,  they  should  be  separated  by  the  wings 
and  the  females  placed  upon  sheets  of  paper  where 
they  will  deposit  their  eggs.  It  is  computed  that  one 
hundred  females  will  produce  an  ounce  of  eggs  and 
an  ounce  of  eggs  will  produce  forty  thousand  Silk 
Worms.  The  papers  on  which  the  eggs  are  depos- 
ited, should  be  rolled  up  and  put  in  tight  boxes  and 
placed  in  a  cool  dry  cellar  where  they  will  not  freeze. 
If  it  is  required  to  keep  them  late  in  the  season  for  a 
second  crop,  it  may  be  necessary  to  have  recource  to 
the  ice  house. 


STIFLING   THE    WORM. 

The  next  step  in  the  process,  is  to  stifle  the  Worm 
in  such  cocoons  as  are  intended  for  sale,  or  reeling. — 
If  this  is  omitted,  the  Worm  will,  in  a  week  or  two, 
eat  out  of  the  cocoon,  which  will  destroy  it.  The 
Worms  may  be  stifled  in  various  ways,  but  the  most 
convenient  method  is  to  expose  them  to  the  rays  of 
the  sun.  Three  or  four  hot  days  exposure  in  this 
6 


62  THE    SILK   WORM. 

manner,  for  a  few  hours  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  will 
generally  destroy  the  life  of  the  Worm. 

Another  method  is  to  place  them  in  an  oven,  mod- 
erately heated,  or  in  the  steam  of  boiling  water.  On 
this  subject  Mr.  Cobb  says : — "  I  have  used  the  first 
method  with  success.  The  oven  being  moderately 
heated,  the  cocoons  were  spread  out  in  oblong  bask- 
ets, eight  inches  deep,  in  box  covers,  pans,  &c.  and 
permitted  to  remain  in  the  oven  half  an  hour."  Mr. 
Smith,  of  Baltimore,  speaking  on  this  subject,  says : — 
"I  put  the  cocoons  into  a  tight  tin  vessel  with  a  cov- 
er, closely  fitted,  and  put  this  vessel  into  another  a 
little  larger,  containing  such  quantity  of  water  as  will 
nearly  fill  it.  Fire  is  then  applied  arid  the  water  kept 
boiling  half  an  hour  or  more,  according  to  the  size  of 
the  vessel,  and  until  the  cocoons  in  the  inner  vessel 
shall  have  become  as  hot  as  the  boiling  water.  The 
cocoons  are  then  spread  out  in  a  dry  room,  that  the 
moisture  may  evaporate." 

Another  method  of  destroying  the  chrysalis,  is  by 
the  use  of  alchohol.  On  this  subject  Mr.  Williams, 
of  Elm  Hill,  Roxbury,  says : — "  The  first  cocoons  I 
raised  were  killed  by  putting  them  in  a  close  tin  ket- 
tle, after  turning  in  a  gill  of  high  wines,  throwing  a 
net  over  to  keep  them  from  the  alchohol,  covering 
them  close,  and  placing  the  kettle  in  the  warm  sun. 
The  evaporation  kills  the  chrysalis  without  staining 
the  cocoons.  The  two  last  seasons,  I  have  found 
New  England  Rum  would  answer  the  same  end.  By 
this  process,  the  embryo  seems  not  to  exude  any  thing 
to  stain  its  shroud,  as  it  does  by  steaming  and  baking." 

There  are  other  methods  of  stifling  the  Worm ;  but 
as  the  foregoing  are  considered  the  most  easy,  con- 
venient and  effectual,  we  pass  them  unnoticed. 


THE    SILK    WORM.  63 


CURING    COCOONS. 

The  next  thing  in  order,  is  the  preservation  of  the 
cocoons  ;  for  unless  they  are  well  cured  and  preserv- 
ed, they  will  be  reeled  with  difficulty  and  furnish  but 
a  small  quantity  of  a  very  inferior  quality  of  silk. — 
We  have  seen  several  lots  of  cocoons,  the  present  sea- 
son, that  did  not  yield  silk  enough  to  pay  the  expense 
of  reeling,  on  account  of  the  manner  in  which  they 
had  been  cured  and  preserved. 

To  preserve  them,  however,  care,  rather  than  skill, 
is  necessary.  After  the  Worm  is  destroyed,  they 
ought  to  be  spread  in  thin  layers,  on  shelves,  distri- 
buted into  as  many  stories  as  the  room,  in  which  they 
are  cured,  will  admit,  say  two  or  three  feet  apart,  one 
above  another,  and  turned  every  day.  If  they  are 
spread  too  thick  and  left  unstirred,  they  will  be  liable 
to  mould,  and  be  destroyed  by  moths.  Cocoons  put 
up  damp  and  in  large  quantities,  will  contract  addi- 
tional moisture,  and  throw  out  an  offensive  odour, 
and  in  that  condition  are  not  worth  reeling.  Persons 
who  intend  to  have  good  cocoons,  and  obtain  a  good 
price  for  them,  should  be  particularly  careful  that  they 
be  preserved  in  good  order. 

TRANSPORTING  COCOONS. 

If  the  culturist  disposes  of  the  product  of  his  Worm* 
in  the  cocoon,  as  he  ought  always  to  do  until  he  ac- 
quires the  skill  of  reeling  it  well^  he  ought  to  take  es- 
pecial care  that  they  be  not  damaged  while  on  their 
way  to  the  factory.  As  silk  may  be  all  but  ruined  in 
reeling,  so  cocoons  may  be  much  injured  in  transport- 
ing them  to  market.  To  avoid  this,  care  should  b« 


64  THE    SILK    WORM. 

taken  in  handling  and  packing  them,  that  they  be  not 
dented  or  flattened^  as  this  will  seriously  damage 
them.  They  may  be  packed  in  tight  boxes  or  bar- 
rels, and  should  be  pressed  together  sufficient  to  pre- 
vent their  shaking  and  chafing  each  other  by  the  mo- 
tion of  the  carriage  in  which  they  are  conveyed  ;  but 
not  so  hard  as  to  alter  their  form  by  compression. 

The  cocoons  and  the  boxes  or  barrels,  designed  for 
them,  should  be  perfectly  dry,  otherwise  they  may 
contract  mould,  which  would  be  injurious.  Put  up 
in  this  manner,  they  may  be  transported  without  in- 
jury, any  distance  either  by  land  or  water.  If  the 
journey  be  long,  and  made  in  an  open  carriage,  the 
boxes,  &c.  should  be  covered  with  a  tarpaulin  or 
oil  cloth,  that  they  may  not  be  exposed  to  rains  or 
dews.  The  same  is  advisable  where  they  are  to  be 
transported  by  water. 

SUBSTITITED    FEED. 

Though  the  foliage  of  the  Mulberry,  is  the  only 
natural  aliment  of  Silk  Worms,  and  the  only  sub- 
stance on  which  they  can  advantageously  make  silk  ; 
yet  there  are  various  other  plants,  on  the  foliage  of 
which  they  will  feed  and  live.  The  more  common, 
are  the  lettuce,  rose,  bramble,  dandelion,  hop,  hemp 
and  fig.  It  is  also  said,  they  will  feed  upon  the  leaves 
of  the  currant.  The  Worms  may,  therefore,  be  fed 
with  these  leaves,  when  the  leaves  of  the  Mulberry 
cannot  be  had,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  them  alive 
until  they  can  be  procured.  It  is  supposed  there  is 
a  resinous  matter  in  the  leaves  of  the  Mulberry,  which 
underg«  nng  a  change  in  the  stomach  of  the  Worm, 
enables  it  to  make  silk. 

The  transactions  of  the  Society  for  the  encourage- 


THE    SILK   WORM.  Oft 

rnent  of  Arts,  &c.  contain  many  experiments  on  sub- 
stituted feed,  which  throw  some  lighten  the  subject, 
one  or  two  of  them  may  bo  both  useful  and  interest- 
ing. We  copy  them  from  Lardner's  Cabinet  Cyclo- 
paedia : — 

"  A  letter  from  Miss  Rhodes  relates,  that  in  the 
summer  of  1785,  she  subsisted  several  thousand 
Worms  entirely  on  lettuce  leaves  during  three  weeks, 
and  that  for  the  remaining  short  term  of  their  lives 
she  afforded  them  thsir  natural  food.  At  the  end  of 
a  month  from  thsir  first  hatching,  they  began  to  spin, 
and  eleven  ounces  of  silk  were  procured  from  four 
thousand  cocoons.  After  repeated  trials,  this  lady 
had  become  convinced  that  Silk  Worms  could  not 
safely  be  fed  on  lettuce  leaves  for  a  longer  period  than 
three  weeks  ;  as  on  persisting  further  in  their  use, 
the  greater  part  of  the  Worms  died  without  forming 
their  cocoons.  Some  indeed,  possessed  sufficient 
vigor  to  spin  and  to  produce  perfect  and  well-formed 
balls,  even  when  lettuce  leaves  had  constituted  their 
only  food.  Reasoning  from  this  fact,  Miss  Rhodes 
was  brought  to  suspect  that  the  premature  mortality 
of  her  brood  was  not  altogether  occasioned  by  the  un- 
wholesome nature  of  the  aliment  on  which  they  had 
fed,  but  might  be  owing  to  some  extraneous  circum- 
stance ;  and  further  observation  led  her  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  was  the  coldness  of  the  lettuce  leaves, 
rather  than  any  inherent  property,  which  made  them 
detrimental.  This  lady  having  thence  suggested  that 
if  the  Worms  were  kept  in  a  higher  temperature,  they 
might  be  successfully  supported  through  their  lives  on 
lettuce  leaves,  General  Mordaunt  caused  a  consider- 
able number  to  be  hatched  and  reared  in  hot  houses. 
These  were  fed  entirely  on  lettuce  leaves;  they 


66  THE    SILK   WORM. 

throve,  and  went  through  all  their  mutations  as  satis- 
fatory  as  if  fed  with  their  natural  nourishment ;  scarce- 
ly any  among  them  died,  and  the  number  and  quali- 
ty of  the  cocoons  that  were  gathered,  proved  the  en- 
tire success  of  the  experiment.  If  a  solitary  trial  be 
sufficient  to  establish  a  fact,  this  must  certainly  be 
satisfactory  to  those  who  consider  it  desirable  to  nat- 
uralize Silk  Worms  in  this  country,  where,  owing  to 
the  inequality  of  seasons,  the  appearance  of  Mulberry 
leaves  must  always  be  uncertain  in  regard  to  time. 
Lettuce  leaves  have  an  advantage  over  other  vegeta- 
bles which  have  been  offered  as  substitutes  for  the 
Mulberry,  that  they  may  be  gathered  in  wet  weather 
without  themselves  being  wetted,  as  a  lettuce,  once 
cabbaged,  resists  the  entrance  of  all  moisture  within ; 
and  the  heart  being  always  perfectly  dry,  insures 
nourishment  to  the  Worm,  free  from  that  moisture 
which  is  always  found  to  affect  it  injuriously. 

"  Mrs.  Williams,  an  earlier  correspondent  of  the 
Society  whose  "Transactions"  have  been  quoted, 
give&a  very  minute  and  copious  account  of  the  vari- 
ous trials  which  she  made,  of  vegetable  substances  as 
substitutes  for  Mulberry  leaves.  Having  hatched  her 
brood  in  severely  cold  weather,  when  even  lettuces 
were  not  easily  procurable,  she  offered  to  her  Worms 
the  tender  parts  of  blackberry  leaves  and  relates  that 
the  Worms  ate  them  greedily.  She  next  presented 
to  them  young  leaves  of  the  elm,  and  reports  that 
equal  success  attended  this  trial ;  encouraged  by 
these  facts,  she  then  succeeded  in  causing  the  insects. 
to  feed  on  the  leaves  and  flowers  of  the  sweet  cow- 
slip and  primrose.  But  meanwhile  thft  Mulberry  had 
put  forth  its  leaves,  and  having  procured  some  of  these 
for  her  brood,  it  was  thenceforth  vain  to  offer  them 


THE    SILK    WORM.  67 

any  other  kinds  of  food  ;  all  were  rejected  ;  and  an- 
other proof  was  afforded  that  the  Mulberry  tree* 
which  no  other  insect  will  attack,  is  alone  adapted  to 
the  natural  desires  of  the  Silk  Worm.  Mrs.  Will- 
iams records  one  peculiarity  which  discovered  itself 
throughout  her  investigation  ;  by  no  means  could  the 
Worms  be  brought  to  touch  any  flower  of  roseate 
hue.  Pinks,  roses,  sweet-williams,  polyanthuses, 
vvero  each  in  turn  offered  by  this  persevering  lady, 
and  were  all  rejected  without  hesitation.  It  is  prop- 
er to  remark,  that  these  experiments  of  Mrs.  Williams 
are  not  confirmed  by  those  of  any  other  person,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  that  Miss  Hhodes  was  unsuccessful 
in  every  endeavor  to  repeat  them,  and  succeeded  on- 
ly in  reconciling  her  Silk  Worms  to  the  use  of  lettuce 
and  spinach. 

"Attempts  to  discover  a  substitute  for  the  Mulber- 
ry are  not  entirely  abandoned  even  at  the  present 
time.  It  is  recorded  in  the  Bulletin  Universal,  for 
1829,  that  Mademoiselle  Coge  of  Epinal  has  used  with 
success  the  leaves  of  the  scorzonera  (viper-grass)  for 
the  nourishment  of  Silk  Worms.  The  silk  produced 
by  Worms  fed  on  this  leaf,  is  represented  to  be  in  no 
respect  inferior  to  that  from  Worms  kept  on  the  nat- 
ural food. 

"Notwithstanding,  however,  this  last  announce- 
ment, and  the  partial  success  so  frequently  recorded 
as  attending  the  substitution  of  the  lettuce,  all  practi- 
cal culiivators  of  silk  continue  to  be  convinced  that 
it  would  be  unprofitable  to  feed  their  Worms  on  any 
save  their  natural  nourishment ;  and  the  most  intelli- 
gent writers*  on  the  subject  approve  the  practice  of 
destroying,  as  useless,  any  Worms,  which  through  ill 
management  may  be  hatched  before  the  Mulbengp 


63  THE    SILK    WORM. 

tree  has  put  forth  leaves  sufficient  for  their  support. 
Recent  attempts  which  have  been  made  to  rear 
Silk  Worms  in  England,  do  not  offer  much  encourage- 
ment to  the  pursuit,  except  as  matter  of  amusement. 
Some  pairs  of  silk  stockings,  of  good  quality,  are  to 
be  seen  in  the  gallery  of  "  The  National  Repository," 
woven  from  silk  of  home  production.  The  Worms 
which  spun  this,  were  reared  by  Mrs.  Allen,  of 
Wandsworth,  the  result  of  whose  careful  observations 
on  this  subject  I. as  been  obtained. 

"  The  difficulty  of  procuring  a  sufficient  and  con- 
tinuous supply  of  proper  food  was  the  reason  why  this 
lady  was  obliged  to  relinquish  a  pursuit  in  which  she 
had  taken  much  pleasure  for  four  successive  years. 

"  Mrs.  Allen's  testimony  strongly  corroborates  the 
necessity  of  extreme  cleanliness  in  preserving  the 
health  of  the  Worms.  The  most  scrupulous  attention 
seems  to  have  been  paid  by  her  to  this  particular,  as 
well  as  to  the  dryness  of  the  leaves,  and  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  apartment  wherein  the  insects  were  rear- 
ed and  set  to  spin ;  and  yet  a  very  great  mortality 
was  always  experienced  among  them,  scarcely  more 
than  one  in  five  of  the  Worms  that  were  hatched, 
coming  to  maturity  and  forming  their  cocoons.  Of 
these  it  required  1000  to  furnish  an  ounce  more. — 
The  cocoons  were  gathered  in  eight  days  from  their 
commencement,  and  in  eight  days  more  were  wound 
off.  No  necessity  hence  arose  for  destroying  the  vi- 
tality of  the  insects  to  prevent  their  piercing  the  balls. 
The  chrysalis  being  placed  in  bran,  in  due  time  be- 
came moths  and  produced  eggs,  each  female  furnish- 
ing between  three  and  four  hundred." 

From  the  foregoing  experiments,  it  will  be  seen 
that  nothing  has,  as  yet,  been  discovered,  which  can 


THE    SILK    WORM.  69 

be  relied  on  as  a  substitute  for  the  foliage  of  the  Mul- 
berry tree. 

There  may  be  other  substances  in  the  vegetable 
kingdom,  which  will  enable  them  to  perform  the  work 
assigned  them  by  their  Creator,  but  it  would  be  grati- 
fying a  mere  idle  curiosity  to  attempt  to  discover  them. 
The  Mulberry  is  as  easily  cultivated  as  any  other 
tree,  shrub,  or  plant.  And  why  should  the  culturist 
be  speculating  about  a  substitute,  when  he  can  with- 
out difficulty  furnish  in  abundance,  the  food  most  con- 
genial to  their  tastes  and  best  adapted  to  their  labor. 
It  is  like  enquiring  whether  there  is  not  some  other 
vegetable  that  may  be  substituted  for  wheat  and  corn 
as  bread  stuff.  As  long  as  these  grains  are  growed 
with  little  labor  and  in  rich  abundance,  why  should 
not  man  be  contented  with  them?  When  a  fine  sir- 
loin of  beef  is  set  before  an  epicure,  he  never  stops  to 
think  \vhether  something  else  eatable,  but  less  palata- 
ble, would  not  satisfy  hunger, 

SUCCESSIVE    CROPS. 

The  project  of  rearing  successive  families  of  Worms 
is  engaging  the  attention  of  some  culturists,  and  there 
is  little  doubt  of  its  practicability  in  this  climate. — 
The  Mulberry  renews  its  foliage  in  quick  succession, 
and  may  be  deprived  of  it  two  or  three  times  during 
the  season,  without  essentially  injuring  its  constitution* 
In  Tuscany  they  make  two  crops  of  silk  annually  ; 
and  the  same  may  be  done  in  this  country.  The  two 
crops  are  obtained  by  the  aid  of  a  peculiar  variety  of 
the  Silk  Worm,  commonly  called  the  "  Two  crop 
Worm"  or  «  White  Worm."  This  Worm,  hatched 
at  the  usual  season  of  hatching,  will  make  its  cocoon, 
eat  out  and  deposit  its  eggs ;  which  may  be  again 


THE    SILK    WORM. 

hatched,  the  same  season,  and  another  coc«on  pro- 
duced. 

There  is  no  doubt  of  there  being  an  advantage  in 
making  two  crops  in  a  year  ;  and  it  is  believed  to  be 
a  good  method  to  have  several  families  of  Worms,  of 
different  ages,  at  work  at  the  same  time,  on  account  of 
the  different  states  and  stages  of  the  foliage.  But  it 
must  be  left  to  further  experiments  to  decide  wheth- 
er, after  taking  all  things  into  consideration,  a  succes- 
sion of  crops  is  worthy  the  attention  of  the  culturist, 

To  make  a  succession  of  crops,  all  that  is  necessa- 
ry is  to  hatch  the  eggs  in  succession,  with  regular  or 
irregular  intervals,  and  feed  in  the  ordinary  manner. 
When  this  course  is  adopted,  care  must  be  taken  thai 
the  eggs  do  not  hatch  until  it  is  intended  they  should. 
To  prevent  this  they  must  be  kept  in  a  cold  cellar ; 
and,  if  the  weather  be  very  warm,  it  may  be  necessa- 
ry to  deposit  them  in  an  ice  house. 

DETERIORATION    OF    SILK    WORMS. 

A  superstitious  notion  formerly  prevailed  to  a  con- 
siderable extent,  that  the  eggs  of  the  Silk  Worm  must 
be  changed  every  two  or  three  years,  to  prevent  the 
deterioration  of  the  Worm.  This  notion,  like  many 
others  of  the  same  class,  is  at  war  with  reason  and 
science.  The  supposition  that  good  cocoons  after  a 
few  years,  are  no  longer  fit  to  produce  good  seed  is 
ridiculously  absurd.  The  time  has  gone  by,  when 
the  idle  and  foolish  theories  oi  Buffon,  Robertson,  De 
Pauw  and  others,  respecting  the  tendency  of  nature 
**to  belittle"  and  degenerate  every  thing  in  the  new 
world,  are  received  as  truths.  Facts  also  have  set- 
tled the  question,  that  the  Silk  Worm  will  not  degen- 


THE    SILK   WORM.  71 

erate,  except  as  a  consequence  of  neglect,  or  the  long 
propagation  of  those  of  a  diminutive  size. 

Though  new  varieties  of  the  Silk  Worm  may  not 
be  obtainable,  by  selecting  the  largest  and  best  co- 
coons for  seed ;  yet  it  is  believed  the  same  variety 
may  be  improved  in  size  and  vigor  and  that,  in  this 
respect,  it  will  be  an  object  of  importance  with  the 
culturist  to  make  a  careful  and  judicious  selection. 

Having  carried  the  culturist  through  the  various 
processes  of  making  silk,  from  sowing  the  seed  of  the 
Mulberry,  to  the  making  of  cocoons;  it  is  believed,  if 
the  directions  given,  are  carefully  followed,  he  will 
meet  with  no  insurmountable  obstacle  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  this  most  profitable  branch  of  rural  economy. 
There  are  no  more  difficulties  to  be  encountered  in 
the  cultivation  of  the  Mulberry,  than  in  the  ordinary 
crops  of  corn  or  potatoes  ;  and  a  farmer's  wife  and 
daughters  may  rear  a  family  of  Silk  Worms  with  about 
the  same  ease  and  more  certainty  of  success,  then  they 
do  the  young  of  their  favorite  geese  and  turkeys. 

In  giving  directions,  however,  for  the  successful 
prosecution  of  silk  growing,  they  must,  from  the  na- 
ture of  the  subject,  be  general.  It  would  be  impossi- 
ble to  anticipate  every  thing  that  may  take  place  in 
the  various  processes  conducted  by  the  most  skilful 
and  judicious  culturist.  Cases  unprovided  for  and  ques- 
tions unanswered  may,  and  doubtless  will,  present 
themselves  in  the  course  of  operations — but  like  all 
other  cases  and  questions  on  practical  subjects,  they 
must  be  refered  to  the  decisions  of  sound  judgment 
and  discretion  ;  and  these,  with  the  aid  of  a  little  ex- 
perience, will  almost  invaribly  be  found  correct. 

The  next  process  is  to  reel  the  silk  from  the  co- 
coon in  a  suitable  manner  for  the  manufacturer,  for  in 


T2  THE    SILK    WORM, 

its  present  state  it  is  worthless ;  but  this  forms  the 
third  part  of  our  subject,  as  originally  proposed  and 
in  which  full  directions  will  be  given.  This  is  an  im- 
portant part  of  the  business  ;  but  its  apparent  diffi- 
culties ought  not  to  deter  the  cultunst  from  acquir- 
ing it,  as  much  of  his  profit  is  dependent  upon  it. 


PART    III. 


REELING  SILK. 

Every  culturist  ought  to  acquire  the  art  of  reeling 
silk,  as  it  will  afford  him  an  additional  profit  on  his 
labor,  and  at  the  same  time  diminish  the  expense  and 
hazard  of  transporting  his  silk  to  market.  The  quality 
of  silk  depends  materially  upon  the  manner  in  which 
it  is  reeled,  and  its  value  is  often  increased  or  redu- 
ced, fifty  per  cent,  by  the  skillfulness  with  which  this 
operation  is  performed.  This  being  the  fact,  the  cul- 
turist will  see  the  necessity  of  acquainting  himself  and 
family,  as  early  as  may  be,  with  this  delicate  part  of 
the  silk  process.  Instruction  from  an  experienced 
reeler,  and  directions  from  manufacturers,  will  doubt- 
less be  of  much  service  to  him ;  but  after  all,  "  prac- 
tice" in  reeling  silk^as  in  every  thing  else,  "  makes 
perfect."  We  have  known  persons,  with  very  little 
instruction,  soon  become  skilful  reelers,  and  among 
others,  a  lady  in  Litchfield  County,  whose  name  de- 
serves tobe  mentioned,  both  in  justice  to  herself,andas 
an  encouragement  to  our  fair  countrywomen,  to  en- 
gage in  this  appropriate  and  profitable  employment. 

The  lady  to  whom  reference  is  had,  is  Mrs.  Church, 
the  wife  of  Samuel  Church,  Esq.  of  Bethlem.  We 
have  seen  several  specimens  of  the  reeling  of  this  ladjr 
7 


T4  REELING    SILK. 

the  present  season,  which  we  do  not  hesitate  to  pro- 
nounce equal  to  any  foreign  silk,  we  have  ever  seen. 
And  what  is  most  surprising,  they  are  the  results  of 
some  of  her  first  attempts  at  reeling.  We  have  too 
high  an  opinion  of  the  intelligence  and  skill  of  Amer- 
ican ladies,  to  believe  they  can  be  out  done  in  reeling 
silk,  by  those  of  France  or  Italy,  and  we  can  but  hope 
they  will  turn  their  attention  to  it,  as  a  suitable  object 
of  female  labor. 

In  order  to  acquire  the  art  of  reeling,  the  culturist 
must  first  furnish  himself  with  an  appropriate  and  well 
constructed  silk  reel.  Several  silk  reels  htive  been 
invented,  and  many  of  them  perform  their  work  ad- 
mirably well.  Among  them  we  notice  those  of  Mr. 
Cobb,  of  Dedham,  Mr.  Smith,  of  Baltimore,  and  Mr. 
Gay,  of  Lisbon.  The  Piedmoritese  reel,  has  also  been 
extensively  used,  and  for  a  time,  was  considered  the 
best  in  use.  It  has  however,  of  late  years  given  place 
to  those  of  the  above  mentioned  gentlemen,  which  in 
some  respects,  are  considered  superior  to  it.  The 
silk  reel  requires  no  complicated  machinery,  and  is 
constructed  at  comparatively  a  trifling  expense. 

Mr.  Dale  has  also  made  an  improvement  on  Mr. 
Gobb's  plan,  by  which  hall  the  labor  is  saved. 


REELING    SILK. 


COBB'S  REEL. 


DALES    REEL, 


T6  REELING    SILK. 

The  first  engraving,  on  the  preceding  page,  repre- 
sents the  reel  invented  by  Mr.  Cobb.  It  has  been 
thoroughly  tested  by  experiment,  and  found  by  long 
use  to  answer  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  the 
inventer. 

The  second  engraving,  represents  a  reel  on  the 
plan  of  Mr.  Cobb,  butgeered  in  such  manner  that  it 
maybe  conveniently  turned  by  the  person  who  at- 
tends the  cocoon  basin.  This  improvement,  togeth- 
er with  a  considerable  reduction  in  price,  will  render 
it  a  very  desirable  reel  for  use  in  small  establishments 
and  private  families.  It  has  been  introduced  into  the 
Factory  of  the  Connecticut  Silk  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, and  found  to  answer  a  good  purpose.  The  ex- 
pense of  making  a  reel  of  this  kind,  need  not  exceed 
four  or  five  dollars  and  can  be  done  by  a  joiner  or 
any  other  person  acquainted  with  the  use  of  tools. — 
As  it  may  aid  the  workman  in  making  them,  we  sub- 
join  its  dimensions. 

Length  of  frame  aaS  feet  6  inches — width  b  2  feet 
— height  c  c  c  c  3  feet — length  of  traverse  bar  d  2  feet 
5  inches,  with  a  lateral  motion  of  5  inches — diameter 
of  band  wheels  ee5  inches — length  of  reel  arms, 
from  centre  of  shaft/ 13J  inches — diameter  of  hori- 
zontal band  wheel  which  carries  the  traverse  bar^- 
5j  inches — diameter  of  band  wheel  h  11  inches — 
length  of  sweep,  from  outer  edge  of  band  wheel  to 
traverse  bar  i  13  inches — bar  k  which  supports  the 
lower  rampins  projects  8  inches  from  the  frame — 
width  of  reel  in  13  inches. 

There  are  several  other  reels  in  use,  but  these  will 
be  found  as  simple  as  any  that  have  been,  or  can  be 
constructed.  All  have,  or  must  have,  the  lateral  mo- 
tion, or  they  will  not  reel  well. 


REELING    SILK. 


SORTING    COCOONS. 


Before  commencing  the  operation  of  reeling,  the 
reeler  should  sort  the  cocoons  and  place  them  in  sep- 
arate parcels,  according  to  their  quality.  The  quali- 
ties of  cocoons  admit  of  five  varieties  and  are  known 
by  the  names  of  double  cocoons  —  the  chiques  or 
skins  —  the  fine  —  the  demi-fine  and  the  satin  cocoons. 
The  double  cocoons  are  those  in  which  two  or  three 
worms  have  worked  and  enclosed  themselves  togeth- 
er. They  are  larger  than  the  single  ones  ;  the  chiques 
or  skin  cocoons  are  softer  and  resist  much  less  to 
pressure  —  the  fine  cocoons  are  those  of  which  the 
surface  presents  a  very  fine  and  very  close  grain  —  the 
demi-fine  are  of  a  more  loose  and  larger  grain  —  the 
satin  cocoons  are  those  of  a  still  inferior  quality.  — 
Though  cocoons  are  not  ordinarily  so  particularly 
sorted  ;  yet  when  it  is  intended  to  reel  silk  of  an  ex- 
tra nice  fibre,  it  is  desirable  they  should  be. 

Before  reeling,  they  should  also  be  cleaned  from 
the  floss  and  loose  threads  with  which  they  are  envel- 
oped. This  is  done  by  having  them  picked  off  bjr 
children. 

REELING. 

The  reeler,  having  prepared  the  cocoons  as  above 
directed,  is  now  in  readiness  to  commence  reeling.  — 
And  here  it  is  proper  to  state,  that  reeling  may  be 
done  at  any  season,  but  best  in  dry  weather,  and  that 
the  softest  water  should  also  be  chosen  for  soaking  the 
cocoons. 

The  cocoons  are  to  be  put  into  a  basin,  or  some 
Bother  vessel  of  water,  placed  over  a  moderate  fire  in 
*7 


T8  REELING    SILK. 

a  small  furnace,  raised  to  near  a  boiling  heat. 
precise  degree  of  temperature  cannot  be  determined 
until  the  reeling  is  begun,  as  different  compositions  of 
silk,  require  different  degrees^of  heat  in  reeling.  If 
on  trial  the  water  is  found  too  hot  or  too  cold,  it  may 
be  varied  by  increasing  the  fire  or  adding  cold  waten 
If  the  water  is  too  hot  they  furze  out  in  unwinding. 
A  little  experience  on  this  point,  will  enable  the  reel- 
er  to  keep  the  water  at  the  proper  temperature. 

The  reeler  having  placed  her  basin  of  water  on  the 
furnace  and  provided  herself  with  a  small  whisk  of 
broom  corn,  or  sharp  twigs,  she  throws  in  a  handful 
of  cocoons  and  presses  them  under  the  water  for  two 
or  three  minutes,  in  order  to  soften  the  gum  of  the 
silk,  and  thereby  loosen  the  ends  of  the  filaments. — 
She  then  stirs  the  cocoons  with  the  end  of  the  whisk 
as  lightly  as  possible,  until  one  or  more  of  the  fibres 
adhere  to  it.  She  then  lays  aside  the  whisk  and 
draws  the  fibre  towards  her  until  it  comes  off  clean 
from  the  floss  and  the  fine  silk  begins  to  appear. — 
She  then  breaks  off  the  thread,  and  collecting  the  floss 
first  taken  off  puts  it  aside.  She  then  applies  the 
whisk  again,  to  get  hold  of  the  fine  fibres.  This  oper- 
ation is  repeated  until  a  sufficient  number  are  collect- 
ed to  form  a  thread  of  the  intended  size.  She  then 
unites  the  fibres,  and  passing  the  thread  through  the 
guides,  attaches  it  to  one  of  the  arms  of  the  reel.^ 
Another  thread  is  in  like  manner  to  be  prepared  and 
passed  through  the  other  guides,  and  attached  to  the 
reel  when  two  skeins  are  intended  to  be  wound. 

Both  threads  being  fastened  to  the  reel,  it  is  turned 
with  a  regular  but  slow  motion,  until  the  threads  are 
found  to  run  freely,  when  it  may  be  more  rapidly 
turned.  If  it  happens,  as  it  often  will,  that  some  of 


ftfcfeUNG   SILK.  79 

the  ends  which  compose  the  thread  are  false,  new 
ones  must  be  added,  to  supply  their  deficiency,  or  the 
thread  will  be  uneven  and  of  little  value,  if  not  entirely 
worthless.  This  will  also  show  the  utility  of  putting 
in  a  few  more  cocoons  than  is  intended  to  continue, 
as  they  will  soon  be  reduced  to  the  competent  num- 
ber. Crossing  the  threads  is  also  recommenced, 
though  they  are  sometimes  reeled  uncrossed.  If  the 
cocoons  are  drawn  up  to  the  guides  on  the  thread  the 
motion  of  the  reel  must  be  slackened  and  they  must 
be  stroked  down  with  the  thumb  and  finger.  Dur- 
ing the  reeling,  the  reeler  must  constantly  add  new 
fibres  to  each  thread,  as  fast  as  she  can  find  the  ends. 
In  order  for  this,  the  basin  must  be  occasionally  re- 
plenished with  cocoons  and  care  taken  that  they  be 
wholly  immersed  in  the  water  that  they  may  be 
equally  soaked.  As  fast  as  the  cocoons  are  wound 
off,  and  such  as  wind  onlyin  part,  they  must  be  taken 
out  of  the  water,  otherwise  they  will  injure  the  color, 
and  lustre  of  the  silk.  The  water  must  also  be  chang- 
ed as  soon  as  it  becomes  discolored. 

A  person  unacquainted  with  reeling  would  natur- 
ally suppose  that  rapid  revolutions  of  the  reel,  would 
overstrain  and  be  liable  to  break  the  thread ;  but  ex- 
perience has  proved  the  reverse  to  be  true.  It  has 
been  found  that  the  thread  never  breaks  in  conse- 
quence of  the  rapidity  with  which  the  reel  revolves, 
and  that  the  silk  reels  better  with  a  quick  than  a  slow 
motion.  The  breaking  of  the  fibres  is  owing  to  the 
imperfection  of  the  cocoons,  or  to  an  improper  regu- 
lation of  the  heat  of  the  water,  in  which  they  are  im- 
mersed. If  the  water  is  too  hot,  it  will  occasion 
burrs,  which  stop  at  the  holes  through  which  the 
thread  passes  and  cause  it  to  break.  If  it  is  too  cold 


80  REELING    SILK. 

the  silk  will  not  come  off  readily  and  consequently  the 
thread  will  be  broken. 

In  order  to  keep  the  water  at  the  right  temperature, 
without  causing  delay,  the  reeler  should  have  cold 
water  within  reach,  that  may  be  quickly  dashed  in, 
should  the  water  become  too  hot.  In  like  manner, 
the  reeler  should  be  provided  with  chips,  or  shavings, 
that  the  fire  may  be  suddenly  quickened,  should  the 
water  become  too  cold. 

We  might  go  on  and  fill  pages  with  directions  for 
reeling  silk ;  but  they  would  tend  to  perplex,  rather 
than  enlighten,  the  reeler  on  the  subject.  Silk  reel- 
ing is  an  art,  rather  than  a  science  ;  and  must  be  ac- 
quired by  experience  and  observation,  and  not  by 
theorizing  on  it  as  an  abstract  subject.  This  being 
the  fact,  we  consider  a  few  plain  practical  directions, 
better  calculated  to  perfect  the  reeler  in  the  art,  than 
instructions  minutely  drawn  out  in  detail.  The  mys- 
tery of  reeling  silk  seems  to  resolve  itself  into  one 
simple  operation — keeping  the  thread  even  as  it  pas- 
ses from  the  cocoon  to  the  reel  ;  and  this  will  easily 
be  done  when  the  attention  of  the  reeler  is  particu- 
larly drawn  to  it. 

RAW  SILB:. 

Silk  direct  from  the  reel,  is  called  raw  silk,  on  ac- 
count of  its  being  in  an  unmanufactured  state.  It  is 
ordinarily  divided  into  three  qualities,  according  to 
its  fineness,  and  numbered  one,  two  and  three — the 
finest  being  number  one.  The  fineness  of  silk  is 
graduated  by  the  fibres,  taken  from  a  given  number 
of  cocoons.  This  the  reeler  regulates  according  to 
the  number  of  silk  it  is  intended  to  reel. 


REELING    SILK.  81 


DISBANDING    SILK    FROM    THE    REEL. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  importance  of  good 
reeling ;  but  in  order  to  ensure  a  good  article,  care 
must  be  taken  in  disbanding  the  silk  from  the  reel. — 
The  single  fibres  of  which  the  thread  is  composed, 
are  liable  to  different  degrees  of  stretching  as  they 
are  wound  from  the  cocoons.  This,  however,  de- 
pends much  upon  the  assorting  of  the  cocoons — if 
they  are  well  assorted,  the  degree  of  extension  will  be 
less  than  if  poorly  or  carelessly  assorted.  Care  in 
assorting,  however,  will  not  wholly  overcome  the  dif- 
ficulty, because  some  are  necessarily  longer  in  the 
waterthan  others,  and  therefore  yield  their  silk  more 
readily^  The  weak  latter  ends  of  some  cocoons,  also 
wind  oft'  with  the  strong  first  part  of  others.  The 
consequence  of  this  is,  the  fibres  are  unequally  stretch- 
ed, an  I  (if  taken  from  the  reel  too  suddenly,)  those 
that  are  most  stretched  will  contract  the  most  and 
make  a  thread  less  compact  and  firm. 

To  remedy  this,  let  the  skein  remain  on  the  reel  six 
or  eight  hours,  or  until  it  is  dry  and  the  different  fi- 
bres brought  to  a  more  uniform  degree  of  extension. 
This  also  gives  the  fibres  an  opportunity  to  unite 
more  firmly.  After  the  skein  is  completely  dry  and 
ready  to  be  taken  from  the  reel,  squeeze  it  together 
all  round,  to  loosen  it  upon  the  bars  ;  and  then  with  a 
thread,  made  of  refuse  silk,  tie  it  in  the  places  where 
it  bore  on  the  bars  of  the  reel.  It  may  then  be  slid 
off  the  reel,  and  ties  should  be  made  opposite  to  those 
first  made.  It  should  then  be  doubled,  and  tied  near 
each  extremity,  and  laid  by  for  use  or  sale.  When 
the  skein  is  finished,  a  mark  should  be  tied  to  the  end 


62  REELING    SILK. 

of  the  thread,  otherwise  it  may  mix  with  the  threads 
of  the  skein  and  render  it  difficult  to  find  it. 

WASTE    AND    REFUSE    SILK. 

l 

Though  the  culture  of  silk  is  among  the  most  prof- 
itable branches  of  rural  industry ;  yet  prudence  and 
economy  must  be  observed,  or  the  nett  profits  of  a  co- 
coonery will  be  materially  diminished.  The  reeler 
should  therefore  take  care  that  nothing,  even  of  small 
value,  is  lost.  In  giving  directions  for  the  saving  and 
manufacture  of  waste  and  refuse  silk,  we  avail  our- 
selves of  the  knowledge  and  experience  of  Mr.  D' 
Homergue.  He  says : — "  In  winding  off  the  silk  from 
the  cocoons,  whether  perfect  or  imperfect,  the  finest 
and  best  threads  are  not  those  which  are  first  ^pun 
out ;  on  the  contrary,  the  first  threads  which  come  off 
the  cocoon  are  coarse,  uneven,  and  unfit  for  use  in  the 
silk  manufactories,  either  of  the  stuffs,  twist  01  sewing 
silk.  This  loose,  furzy  substance,  which  is  about 
one-tenth  part  of  the  whole  silk  on  the  cocoon,  is  call- 
ed in  French  fleuret,  and  in  English  floss,  from  the 
Latin  Jlos,  flower ;  a  name  which  reminds  us  of  Incus 
a  non  lucendo.  As  soon  as  the  threads  of  silk  in  the 
process  of  reeling  come  out  fine  and  regular,  this  floss 
is  separated  from  them  and  put  aside  for  use',  as  will 
be  presently  mentioned.  To  it  are  added  all  the 
threads  which,  either  from  some  defect  in  the  co- 
coons, or  from  the  awkwardness  of  the  women  em- 
ployed in  the  different  operations  of  reeling,  winding 
and  doubling,  either  break  off  so  as  not  to  be  easily 
united  to  the  other  threads,  or  come  out  uneven,  or 
otherwise  unfit  for  use ;  these  are  called  the  waste 
silk,  and  added  to  the  floss,  assume  with  it  the  same 
name.  This  mass,  boiled  in  soap  and  water,  after- 


REELING    SILK.  83 

wards  carded  and  spun  on  the  spinning  wheel,  takes 
the  name  in  French  of  bourre  de  soie  or  filoselle. — 
Boyer,  in  his  dictionary,  translates  the  word  filoselle 
into  English  by  ferret  silk  or  fiurt  silk.  This  last 
name  is  evidently  a  corruption,  or  an  English  pronun- 
ciation of  the  French  word  fleuret,  floss  silk. 

"  This  floss,  ferret  or  flurt  silk,  by  whatever  name 
it  may  be  called,  is  employed  in  making  silk  stockings, 
mittens,  gloves,  suspenders,  night  caps,  and,  in  gen- 
eral, all  kinds  of  silk  hosiery.  I  have  heard  that  the 
women  of  Connecticut  knit  silk  stockings  and  mittens 
out  of  the  silk  which  they  extract  from  the  cocoons. 
I  shall  speak  of  these  also  in  their  proper  place. 

"  Thus  nothing  is  lost  or  wasted  of  the  precious 
material  produced  by  the  silk  worm.  I  mean  by 
those  who  understand  the  art  of  employing  it.  Oth- 
erwise, all  experiments  by  those  who  are  unskilled  in 
the  business  cannot  but  be  attended  with  considerable 
loss. 

"There  are  then,  six  different  kinds  of  silk,  extract- 
ed from  the  cocoons  by  processes  of  various  kinds,  or 
which  vary  more  or  less  from  each  other  in  the  man- 
ner of  using  them,  and  all  of  which  require  not  only 
skill  and  dexterity,  but  knowledge,  acquired  by  long 
practice.  I  shall  recapitulate  them  in  their  order,  ac- 
cording to  their  different  degrees  of  fineness. 

1.  8  ilk  of  the  first  quality,  or  singles. 

2.  Silk  of  the  second  quality,  or  organzine. 

3.  Silk  of  the  third  quality,  or  tram  silk. 

4.  Sewing  silk  of  the  first  and  second  quality. 

5.  Cordonnet,  or  twist  of  ditto. 

6.  Filoselle,  or  floss  silk. 


84  REELING    SILK. 


CLEANSING    SILK. 

Though  cleansing  silk,  comes  more  appropriately 
within  the  province  of  the  manufacturer,  than  the  cul- 
turist,  yet  as  the  manufacture  of  sewing  silk  and  twist 
may  be  profitably  connected  with  the  growing,  we 
subjoin  the  method  by  which  it  is  cleansed  and  pre- 
pared for  dyeing. 

Silk,  as  left  by  the  worm,  contains  certain  impuri- 
ties which  must  be  separated  from  it.  especially,  when 
it  is  intended  for  particular  kinds  of  fabrics.  Yellow 
silk  contains  gum,  coloring  matter,  wax  and  an  oil 
similar  to  the  essential  oils  of  many  vegetables. — 
White  silk  also  contains  gum,  wax  and  an  oil  slightly 
tinged  with  coloring  matter,  resembling  the  liquid  in 
the  chrysalis  of  the  worm.  By  chemical  experiments 
it  has  been  ascertained  that  the  amount  of  gum  is 
from  23  to  24  per  cent.  It  is  dry,  friable,  and  when 
pulverized,  of  a  yellowish  red  color — soluble  in  water. 
The  coloring  matter  is  resinous;  but  exists  in  a  very 
small  proportion — supposed  to  be  from  3^  to  e\>  per 
cent.  The  wax  is  hard,  but  brittle  and  slightly  col- 
ored. Its  proportion  is  about  one  half  per  cent. — 
These  substances  affect  the  whiteness  and  flexibility 
of  silk,  and  the  process  by  which  they  are  extracted 
is  called  "  cleansing  silk."  It  is  also  varied  according 
to  the  nature  and  kind  of  the  article  for  which  it  is 
designed. 

These  processes  are  called  "  ungumming,"  "  sul- 
phuring" and  "  aluming."  Silk  also  intended  to  re- 
main white,  is  boiled  and  gummed,  while  that  intend- 
ed for  dyeing  is  boiled,  but  left  ungummed,  on  the 
supposition  that  the  gum  has  some  affinity  for  the 
coloring  matter  with  which  it  is  to  be  incorporated. 


REELING    SILK.  85 


UNGUMMING    SILK. 

The  silk,  intended  for  white,  is  made  up  into  hanks, 
by  running  a  thread  around  each  hank,  containing  a 
number  of  skeins  tied  together.  The  hanks  are  then 
untied  and  several  of  them  bound  together  in  a  bundle 
of  convenient  size.  This  is  done  that  the  silk  may  be 
handled  without  becoming  entangled.  The  silk  is 
then  prepared  for  ungumming  which  is  done  by  put- 
ting it  in  strong  soap  suds.  For  every  hundred  pounds 
of  silk  take  thirty  pounds  of  soap  and  dissolve  it  in 
water.  Cutting  it  into  small  slices  will  facilitate  its 
solution.  Some  dyers  consider  fifteen  pounds  of 
soap  sufficient,  and  think  more  injures  the  lustre  of 
the  silk. 

After  the  soap  is  dissolved,  the  kettle  is  filled  up 
with  fresh  water,  and  placed  over  a  moderate  fire  un- 
til it  rises  to  the  highest  possible  degree  short  of  boil- 
ing heat — for  should  it  boil  it  would  injure  the  silk  by 
making  it  flossy.  When  the  bath,  or  suds,  is  ready, 
the  hanks  of  silk  are  immersed  in  it,  or  such  parts  of 
them  as  the  capacity  of  the  kettle  will  admit,  and  suf- 
fered to  remain  until  it  is  freed  from  the  gum,  which 
is  determined  by  the  whiteness  and  flexibility  of  the 
silk.  This  operation  is  repeated  until  all  parts  of  the 
hank  have  been  immersed.  After  the  hanks  have 
been  ungummed,  the  soap  and  water  is  wrung  out  of 
them,  and  they  are  next  to  undergo  a  process  which 
is  called  bagging. 

BAGGING    SILK. 

To  bag  silk,  bags  of  strong  coarse  linen  are  pre- 
pared.    They  are  about  fifteen  inches  wide,  and  four 
or  five  feet  long,  and  closed  at  the  ends  with  one  side 
8 


80  REELING    SILK* 

left  open.  These  bags  are  filled  with  hanks  of  silk, 
laid  in  lengthwise  and  sewed  up  with  strong  thread. 
These  "bags  are  put  into  a  bath,  or  suds,  prepared  in 
the  same  mariner,  and  with  the  same  proportions  as 
the  former,  and  boiled  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes. 
When  the  suds  begin  to  boil  over  it  must  be  checked 
by  throwing  in  a  little  cold  water.  While  it  is  boil- 
ing it  must  be  stirred  often  to  bring  up  to  the  surface 
such  bags  as  are  at  the  bottom  of  the  kettle,  or  it  will 
be  liable  to  be  burned.  It  will  also  produce  more 
uniformity  in  boiling.  This  operation,  it  will  be  re- 
membere*d,  is  to  be  performed  when  the  silk  is  to  be 
left  white. 

Silk  intended  for  dyeing  is  boiled  in  the  same  man- 
ner, with  this  difference — the  silk  is  continued  boiling 
three  or  four  hours,  and  the  kettle  occasionally  filled 
up  with  water.  For  common  colors  twenty,  instead 
of  thirty  pounds  of  soap  are  used  in  making  the  suds; 
but  if  intended  to  be  dyed  blue,  iron  grey,  or  other 
colors,  thirty  pounds  is  used. 

After  the  silk  is  supposed  to  be  thoroughly  boiled, 
the  bags  are  carefully  taken  out  of  the  kettle,  opened, 
and  the  silk  examined.  If  any  part  remains  unboiled, 
it  must  be  put  in  and  boiled  again.  This  is  ascer- 
tained by  the  yellow  and  a  certain  kind  of  slime  on 
such  parts  as  have  not  been  boiled. 

A  more  simple  method  of  ungumming  silk,  has 
long  been  practised  in  Connecticut,  and  it  will  doubt- 
less answer  every  purpose,  provided  measures  are 
taken  to  prevent  its  becoming  entangled.  This 
method  is  to  merely  boil  the  silk  in  water  saturated 
with  a  small  quantity  of  soft  soap ;  or  the  ley  of  com- 
mon wood  ashes. 


REELING    SILK. 


SULPHURING    SILK. 

When  it  is  desirable  to  give  silk  a  peculiar  firmness 
it  is  fumigated  with  brimstone.  This  process  is  called 
sulphuring,  and  is  thus  performed: — A  high  studded 
room  or  garret,  without  a  fire  place,  but  with  doors 
and  windows  which  may  be  thrown  open  at  pleasure 
for  ventilation,  is  chosen  for  the  operation.  The 
skeins  of  silk  are  hung  on  poles  suspended  from  above 
by  cords,  at  the  height  of  seven  or  eight  feet  from  the 
floor.  For  every  hundred  pounds  of  silk  a  pound 
and  a  half,  or  two  pounds  of  roll  brimstone  is  pro- 
cured, placed  in  a  chaffing  dish,  and  set  on  fire.  The 
doors  and  windows  are  then  closed,  as  are  also  all 
crevices  through  which  the  fumes  of  the  brimstone 
might  escape.  In  this  situation  it  is  left  for  twelve  or 
fifteen  houis,  generally  through  one  night,  when  the 
doors  and  windows  are  opened.  When  the  room  is 
sufficiently  ventilated  to  admit  of  going  into  it,  the 
silk  is  taken  down.  The  process  is  sometimes  re- 
peated on  silk  designed  for  some  uses,  particularly 
azure  whites, 

ALUMING    SILK. 

When  silk  is  to  be  dyed,  it  sometimes  undergoes  a 
process  which  is  called  "aluming"  which  is  thus  per- 
formed. A  solution  of  alum  water  is  first  prepared 
by  dissolving  forty  or  fifty  pounds  of  alum,  in  forty  or 
fifty  buckets  full  of  soft  water,  or  in  about  the  propor- 
tion of  a  pound. to  a  bucket  full  of  water.  The  alum 
is  dissolved  in  hot  water,  and  then  poured  into  the 
tub,  or  other  vessel,  containing  the  cold  water.  In 
doing  this,  care  must  be  taken  to  stir  it  briskly,  so 


88  REELING    SILK. 

that  it  may  mix  ;  otherwise  the  coldness  of  the  wa- 
ter might  produce  a  chrystalization  or  congelation,  as 
it  is  termed  by  dyers. 

The  skeins  of  silk,  after  being  washed  and  freed  of 
the  soap  by  beetling,  are  strung  together  by  a  cord, 
care  being  taken  that  the  hanks  be  not  too  much  roll- 
ed up,  or  folded  one  upon  another,  and  steeped  in  the 
alum  water,  for  eight  or  ten  hours.  They  are  then 
washed  and  wrung  with  the  hands,  over  the  tub  that 
the  alum  water  may  not  be  lost.  They  are  then 
rinsed  in  clean  water  and  beetled  again  when  neces- 
sary. 

In  aluming  silk,  especial  care  must  be  taken,  that 
the  skeins  are  not  put  into  the  alum  water  until  it  is 
cold,  as  a  warm  solution  would  destroy  the  lustre  of 
the  silk.  When  large  quantities  are  alumed,  it  will 
be  necessary  to  replenish  the  water  with  alum  occa- 
sionally, or  the  solution  will  become  too  weak,  to 
sufficiently  saturate  the  silk. 

In  performing  this  process,  particular  care  should 
be  taken,  that  the  alum  used,  be  of  the  first  quality. — 
It  is  often  combined  with  iron,  which  renders  it  worth- 
less for  the  dyer.  It  is,  however,  easily  detected  by 
dissolving  a  small  piece  of  it  in  distilled  or  rain  water, 
and  adding  a  few  drops  of  a  solution  of  prussiate  of 
potash.  If  it  be  a  combination  of  alum  and  iron,  a 
blue  precipitate  will  immediately  take  place. 

MANUFACTURE    OF    SILK. 

We  have  now  arrived  at  that  stage  in  the  business, 
where  the  operations  of  the  culturist  cease,  and  those 
of  the  manufacturer  begin — indeed,  such  was  the  fact 
when  the  silk  was  disbanded  from  the  reel,  the  sub- 
sequent processes  of  ungumming  &c.  being  the  first 


REELING    SILK.  89 

steps  in  the  process  of  manufacture.  The  culture 
and  manufacture  of  silk  in  all  countries,  has  been 
kept  distinct  and  prosecuted  by  men  of  different  situ- 
ations and  pursuits — the  former  being  growers  of  the 
raw  material,  and  the  latter  manufacturers  of  the  al- 
most infinite  variety  of  fabrics,  of  which  silk  forms 
the  whole  or  a  component  part. 

The  imaginary  impossibility  of  manufacturing  silk 
in  this  country,  especially  the  finer  and  more  delicate 
fabrics,  has  hitherto  prevented  skilful  and  enterpris- 
ing agriculturists  from  engaging  in  its  cultivation  on  a 
large  and  profitable  scale.  It  has  been  supposed 
that  American  ingenuity  was  inadequate  to  the  pro- 
duction of  those  fanciful  and  beautiful  textures,  which 
are  considered  so  essential  to  the  elegance  and  per- 
fection of  female  dress,  and  that  we  must  forever  be 
dependent  on  the  skill  arid  ingenuity  of  India  and 
Europe  for  their  fabrication.  Though  the  inventive 
genius  of  American  Manufacturers,  and  particularly 
the  Yankees,  has  long  been  proverbial,  yet  they  have 
hitherto,  by  common  consent,  accorded  to  their  for- 
eign brethren  a  decided  superiority  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  silk.  It  has  also  been  supposed  that  European 
and  India  fabrics  were  constructed  by  aid  of  expen- 
sive and  complex  machinery  without  which  they 
could  not  be  manufactured.  It  is  true  European  in- 
genuity has  invented  labor  saving  machines,  by  which 
her  manufacturers  are  enabled  to  compete  with  the 
native  skill  of  China  :  but  after  all,  the  patient  and 
persevering  Indian  succeeds  in  the  manufacture  of 
fabrics,  which,  for  delicacy  of  texture,  cannot  be  ri- 
valled by  tho  European,  aided  by  the  labors  of  the 
most  scientific  machinist. 

Silk  looms  in  Europe,  are  of  the  most  simple  con- 

*8 


90  REELING   SILK. 

struction,  but  when  contrasted  with  the  contrivances 
in  India  would  seem  to  give  them  a  decided  advan- 
tage. In  India  the  weaver  weaves  his  web  in  the 
open  air.  He  first  selects  a  station  for  his  operations, 
generally  under  a  tree,  that  its  foliage  may  protect 
him  from  the  scorching  rays  of  the  sun.  He  then  ex- 
tends the  threads  which  compose  the  warp  of  his  in- 
tended fabric  lengthwise,  between  two  bamboo  roll- 
ers, which  are  fastened  to  the  ground  by  means  of 
wooden  pins.  He  then  digs  a  hole  in  the  earth  large 
and  deep  enough  to  contain  his  legs  in  a  sitting  pos- 
ture. He  next  attaches  to  a  limb  of  the  tree  the 
cords  by  which  his  harness  is  to  be  operated,  and  to 
the  lower  shafts  of  the  harness  cords  with  loops  of 
sufficient  size  to  admit  the  insertion  of  his  great  toes. 
With  his  web  thus  arranged,  he  is  prepared  to  com- 
mence weaving.  This  he  does  by  putting  his  toe  into 
the  loop  of  the  cord  attached  to  that  part  of  the  har- 
ness which  he  wishes  to  tread  down,  and  then  with  a 
shuttle  introduces  the  woof  and  beats  up  by  striking 
the  threads  of  the  woof  with  the  shuttle  instead  of  a 
batten.  The  shuttle  is  in  the  form  of  a  netting  needle, 
and  longer  than  the  breadth  of  the  web.  With  this 
rude  apparatus  he  manufactures  a  fabric  of  which  an 
Italian  silk  weaver  would  be  proud. 

If  the  silk  manufacture  in  China  is  so  simple  and  so 
easily  performed,  without  the  aid  of  complicated  ma- 
chinery, can  it  not  be  successfully  and  profitably  pros- 
ecuted in  a  country  abounding  in  machinists,  with 
ingenuity  to  invent  and  skill  to  execute  the  most  per- 
fect machinery  in  the  world  ? 


PART    IV. 


MANUFACTURE  OP  SEWING  SILK  AND  TWIST. 

The  vast  consumption  of  sewing  silk  and  twist,  in 
this  country,  will  ever  make  it  a  profitable  branch  of 
silk  manufacture,  not  only  in  silk  factories,  but  in  the 
families  of  silk  growers.  For  many  years  after  the 
culture  of  silk  was  introduced  in  Mansfield,  the  whole 
crop  growed  on  the  farm,  was  manufactured,  by  the 
wife  and  daughters  of  the  grower,  into  sewing  silk 
and  twist,  and  sold  at  high  advances,  while  the  labor 
bestowed  upon  it,  was  comparatively  of  small  conse- 
quence. The  Mansfield  silk  and  twist,  was  long 
manufactured  without  the  aid  of  machinery,  other 
than  the  common  reel  and  spinning  wheel,  and  though 
it  was  not  carried  to  that  degree  of  perfection  to 
which  it  has  since  arrived ;  yet  very  good  articles 
were  made,  which  were  readily  sold  at  a  fair  price. 

The  stock,  which  has  heretofore  been  manufactur- 
ed into  sewing  silk  and  twist,  in  Connecticut,  is  di- 
rectly the  reverse  of  that  used  for  the  same  purpose  in 
Italy  and  other  foreign  countries.  Here,  the  best 
quality  has  invariably  been  selected  ;  there,  it  is  man- 
ufactured into  fabrics,  while  that  of  an  inferior  quali- 
ty is  worked  up  into  thread  and  twist,  or  cordonnet, 
as  it  is  there  called.  It  ought,  however,  to  be  stated 


02  SEWING    SILK    AND   TWIST. 

that  foreign  sewing  silk  is  of  two  kinds — one  for  sew- 
ing silk  stuffs,  and  the  other  for  woolens,  cottons,  &c. 
and  that  the  foregoing  remark  applies  to  the  second 
kind,  the  first  being  made  of  the  first  quality  of  the 
raw  material. 

Though  the  Connecticut  sewing  silks,  of  domestic 
manufacture,  have  affoHed  the  grower  a  fair  com- 
pensation for  the  labor  bestowed  upon  them ;  yet, 
they  have  never  been  able  to  compete  with  foreign 
manufacturers  of  the  article — so  far  from  this  the  fact 
has  been,  that  foreign  silk  well  reeled,  has  commanded 
a  higher  price  in  its  raw,  than  the  Connecticut,  in  its 
manufactured  state.  This  shows  the  importance  of 
good  reeling  and  wherein  the  superiority  of  foreign 
silk  consists.  The  silk  from  which  the  foreign  article 
is  made,  is  reeled  upon  the  Piedmontese  reel,  whose 
lateral  motion  prevents  the  fibres  of  silk  from  be- 
coming united  by  the  gummy  substance  which  they 
contain,  and  which  would  otherwise  be  unavoidable. 
We  have  now,  not  only  the  Piedmontese  reel,  but 
several  others,  which  are  considered  by  all  equal, 
and  by  many  preferable,  so  that  the  only  difficulty  in 
the  way  of  making  sewing  silk  and  twist  equal  to  for- 
eign, seems  to  be  entirely  removed. 

Sewing  silk  and  twist  is  manufactured  in  three 
different  methods — in  silk  factories,  where  various 
kinds  of  machinery  are  used — in  families  by  the  aid 
of  Brooks'  Patent  Silk  Spinning  Machine,  and  by 
reeling  on  a  common  reel  and  spinning  on  a  common 
wheel.  In  factories  the  silk  is  first  reeled  on  the 
Piedmontese  or  some  other  approved  reel,  and  then 
wound  upon  bobbins  by  means  of  a  piece  of  machin- 
ery, called  a  winding  frame.  The  machine  is  so  con- 
structed that  the  silk  passes  from  swifts  over  glass 


SEWING    SILK   AND    TWIST.  93 

rods,  and  is  distributed  on  the  bobbin  by  a  traverse 
motion.  It  is  next  cleared  of  knobs  and  husks  by 
another  machine,  so  constructed  that  the  silk  passes 
through  holes  in  two  plates  of  iron,  over  a  glass  rod 
and  on  to  another  bobbin.  The  silk  is  next  spun 
single  on  a  spinning  frame,  so  constructed  that  the 
spindles  turn  1800  times  in  a  minute,  and  may  be  so 
regulated  as  to  make  any  given  number  of  twists  in  an 
inch. 

The  next  process  in  order  is  tramming,  or,  in  more 
familiar  language,  doubling  the  silk.  This  is  done  on 
a  machine  so  constructed  that  the  silk  may  be  doubled 
any  number  of  times  required  to  make  a  coarse  or 
fine  thread.  After  tramming,  it  is  throwsted,  or,  as  it 
is  commonly  called,  twisted.  This  also  is  done  on  a 
machine  constructed  in  such  manner  that  any  given 
number  of  twists  may  be  made  in  an  inch.  The 
twist  is  then  set  by  steaming.  This  is  done  by  submit- 
ting the  silk,  while  on  the  reels  as  it  comes  from  the 
throwsting  machine,  to  the  action  of  steam.  The 
steam  is  generated  in  a  tin  vessel  over  a  cylindrical 
stove,  and  passed  into  a  receiver  by  a  leaden  pipe. 
It  is  then  ungummed  by  boiling  in  soap  and  water. 
Having  carried  it  through  these  several  processes  the 
silk  is  ready  for  dyeing. 

After  dyeing,  the  silk  goes  through  another  process 
called  "  soft  silk  winding,"  the  object  of  which  is 
merely  to  get  the  silk  from  the  skeins  to  the  bobbins. 
It  is  then  prepared  for  the  weaver,  and,  if  of  the  pro- 
per size  and  twist,  makes  good  sewing  silk. 

The  foregoing  is  the  manner  in  which  Mr.  Cobb> 
of  Dedham,  manufactures  silk  with  the  machinery 
which  he  has  in  his  factory.  Some  of  his  machinery 
i<?  from  English  patterns,  and  some  of  American  in- 


»4  SEWING    SILK    AND    TWIST. 

vention.  Within  a  few  years  past,  silk  machinery- 
has  been  much  improved  in  this  country,  and  the 
community  are  much  indebted  to  Messrs.  Gay  and 
Moseley,  two  ingenious  machinists,  of  Lisbon,  Con- 
necticut, for  the  degree  of  perfection  to  which  it  hai 
arrived. 


BROOKS     SPINNING    MACHINE. 

Mr.  Amos  Brooks,  of  Scituate,  Mass.,  has  invented 
a  very  useful  machine  for  taking  the  silk  from  the 
cocoon  and  manufacturing  it  into  sewing  silk,  at  one 
operation,  j  The  foregoing  engraving  representing  the 
mnchine  in  operation,  and  the  following  description  oi 
it,  we  copy  from  the  Complete  Farmer,  a  valuable 
agricultural  work,  published  at  Boston. 


SEWING    SILK    AND    TWIST.  95 

"Brooks'  Silk  Spinning  and  Reeling  Machine, 
which  was  invented  by  himself,  is  found  to  be  a  very 
simple  and  easy  operating  machine,  and  yet  one  of 
the  most  perfect  that  has  been  invented  for  the  pur- 
pose of  reeling  and  twisting  silk  from  the  cocoons, 
and  manufacturing  it  into  sewing  silk.  By  the  dif- 
ferent arrangements  of  this  machine,  it  will  operate 
upon  a  single  or  double  thread,  as  may  be  required, 
and  prepare  it  for  twisting  or  weaving.  Experience 
has  fully  proved,  that  by  uniting  the  h'laments  of  silk 
as  they  are  drawn  from  the  cocoons,  wet  in  their 
natural  glutinous  substance,  before  they  dry,  the 
thread  is  more  firm,  smooth  and  strong.  The  sim- 
plicity of  the  machine,  and  the  very  easy  way  in 
which  it  is  used,  bring  it  within  the  comprehension 
and  capacity  of  any  person  to  use  it.  Mr.  Brooks 
has  received  a  premium  for  his  invention  from  several 
societies,  and  of  late  a  premium  and  medal  from 
Scott's  legacy,  in  Philadelphia." 

The  inventor,  in  a  letter  to  the  editor  of  the  New 
York  Farmer,  in  speaking  of  the  machine,  says : — 
"  I  do  not  reel  it  all  before  it  is  twisted  into  warp  or 
filling,  or  doubled  and  twisted  into  sewing  silk,  or  for 
other  uses,  of  any  size  or  twist  that  may  be  wanted — 
perfectly  even,  firm,  smooth  and  strong,  as  any  that 
can  be  produced  from  any  part  of  the  world." 

The  above  described  machine  \vill  be  found  worthy 
Che  attention  of  farmers  who  engage  in  the  culture  of 
silk,  and  who  intend  to  manufacture  it  into  sewing 
silk  and  twist.  They  can  be  made  with  any  number 
of  spindles  ordered,  and  at  an  expense  within  the 
means  of  culturists  on  the  smallest  scale.  The  cost 
of  an  ordinary  machine  is  from  $20  to  $30.  Mr. 
Brooks  has  taken  out  a  patent  for  his  invention. 


90  SEWING    SILK   AND    TWIST. 

Sewing  silk  is  also  manufactured  in  Connecticut, 
in  private  families  without  the  aid  of  machinery.  It 
was  formerly  reeled  on  the  common  reel ;  but  this 
has  of  late  given  place  to  some  of  the  improved  reels 
heretofore  described,  and  a  much  better  article  is 
made.  Mr.  Cobb  thus  describes  the  process  of  mak- 
ing silk  in  families  after  it  is  reeled  from  the  cocoon : 
"It  is  immersed  for  a  few  moments  in  boiling  water, 
taken  out,  put  on  swifts  and  spun  or  twisted  on  a 
common  woolen  wheel,  beginning  at  the  large  end  of 
the  piece,  that  is  the  end  wilich  was  reeled  first ;  and 
when  it  becomes  small,  which  is  the  case  when  one 
half  or  two  thirds  is  run  off*,  the  small  end  of  another 
piece  is  added  to  it,  and  thus  they  are  twisted  together. 
It  is  then  spooled  directly  off*  the  spindle,  a  sufficient 
number  of  spools  is  put  into  a  small  spool  frame  to 
make  a  thread  of  proper  size,  which  is  twisted  again 
while  it  is  moist.  It  is  reeled  again,  and  cleansed  by 
boiling  in  strong  suds  for  three  hours,  then  dried  and 
colored.  Undergoing  this  process  it  shrinks  about 
one  half  in  weight ;  after  this,  for  sewing  silk,  it  is 
doubled,  twisted  and  reeled  on  a  reel  two  yards  long, 
and  is  divided  into  skeins  of  twenty  threads  each,  as 
the  statute  of  the  State  requires.  If  it  be  calculated 
for  twist,  it  is  made  three  threaded,  twisted  and  done 
up  into  sticks  with  a  small  hand  machine,  and  is  then 
ready  for  market." 

The  Silk  Manual,  prepared  by  order  of  Congress, 
and  published  in  1828,  contains  the  following  commu- 
nication, to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  from 
Daniel  Bulkley,  Esq.,  of  Hampton,  Connecticut,  in 
which  the  manner  of  manufacturing  sewing  silk  and 
twist,  at  that  time,  is  described.  Since  that  time, 
some  improvements  have  been  made  ;  but  the  process 
in  families  is  substantially  the  same. 


SEWING    SILK   AND   TWIST.  97 

"  The  raw  silk  is  first  spooled  on  bobbins,  the  num- 
ber of  which  is  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the  in- 
tended thread  from  the  first  spinning ;  and  to  facilitate 
the  operation,  they  are  put  into  warm  water.  The 
silk  is  again  spooled,  taking  two  or  three  bobbins,  ac- 
cording to  the  size  of  the  intended  thread.  After 
being  spun,  it  is  reeled  into  skeins,  each  forty  yards 
in  length,  or  half  a  knot  of  the  country  reel,  as  re- 
quired by  the  law  of  the  State.  About  twenty -five  of 
these  skeins  are  put  together,  like  a  skein  of  cotton  or 
woolen  yarn.  They  are  then  boiled,  adding  a  small 
quantity  of  soft  soap,  or  ley  of  wood  ashes,  to  cleanse 
them  from  the  gum.  They  are  then  ready  for  dyeing, 

"  Silk  twist  is  spun  in  the  same  manner,  except  that 
it  is  always  of  three  cords.  The  winding  of  twist  is 
done  on  a  machine  imported  from  England. 

"  We  have  a  small  establishment  for  spinning  by 
water,  witli  a  machine  similar  to  a  throstle  frame  of  a 
cotton  mill.  The  silk  is  first  spooled  l-y  hand,  on 
bobbins  which  are  placed  on  the  top  of  the  frame ; 
the  thread  of  raw  silk  passing  from  it  under  a  line, 
through  a  trough  of  water,  then  through  rollers  to  the 
spindle.  A  single  frame  may  contain  from  thirty  to 
fifty  spindles,  and  can  be  attended  by  one  person. 
The  doubling  and  twisting  may  be  done  on  the  same 
frame,  at  the  same  time,  by  giving  the  bands  to  a  part 
of  the  spindles  a  contrary  direction.  As  many  threads 
are  put  to  a  spindle  us  are  required  to  make  a  thread 
of  two  or  three  cords.  Silk,  spun  in  this  way,  is  far 
superior  to  that  done  by  hand.  The  machine  \\ill 
spin  from  two  to  three  pounds  in  a  day.  A  pound 
of  silk,  after  being  spun  and  cleansed,  will  weigh  about 
ten  ounces,  and  form  one  hundred  and  seventy  skeins ; 
the  threads  of  sufficient  size  to  sew  woolens.  If  spun 
9 


88  SEWING    SILK   AND   TWIST. 

.fine,  it  will  make  more.  It  increases  little  or  nothing 
in  weight  when  dyed.  Silk  is  sold  by  the  skein  ;  one 
hundred  of  which  will  measure  one  third  more  than 
half  a  pound  of  Italian  or  English  silk  of  the  same 
sized  threads.  One  woman  can  make  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  pounds  of  raw  silk,  in  a  season  of  six  weeks.** 

DYEING    SILK. 

It  will  not  bs  expected  that  a  treatise  on  the  cul- 
ture of  silk  will  contain  full  directions  and  recipes  for 
dyeing  the  almost  endless  variety  of  colors  of  which 
silk  is  susceptible  of  taking.  A  few,  however,  for 
making  the  more  common  colors  of  silk  and  twist  are 
subjoined.  They  are  taken  from  the  manual  prepar- 
ed by  order  of  Congress,  in  which  full  directions  for 
making  most  fancy  colors,  may  be  found,  should  the 
culturist  have  occasion  to  make  them. 

BLACK, 

"The  silk  being  cleansed,  is  to  be  bleached  by  be- 
ing sulphured,  or  rather  to  be  steeped  in  water  charged 
with  sulphurous  acid,  then  washed,  and  passed 
through  water  in  which  a  small  quantity  of  soap  has 
been  dissolved  ;  then  take  three-fourths  of  the  weight 
of  silk,  of  gall-nuts,  make  a  strong  decoction  of  them, 
and  boil  the  silk  therein  for  a  short  time :  let  it  re- 
main in  the  vat  for  thirty-six  hours,  then  wrash  and 
wring  it.  The  silk  is  so  saturated  with  tannin,  that 
100  Ibs.  of  silk,  thus  galled,  will  weigh  125  Ibs.  Put 
in  the  bath  copperas  and  gum,  according  to  the  quan- 
tity to  be  dyed,  heat  it,  dip  the  silk  therein,  and,  when 
deeply  black,  put  it  in  a  trough  of  cold  water,  in  which 
it  is  to  be  turned  on  q.  cylinder ;  then  pass  it  through 


SEWING    SILK   AND   TWIST.  99 

cold  soap  suds.  As  the  price  of  Aleppo  galls  is  high, 
white  galls  are  often  used,  in  the  proportion  of  eight 
or  ten  parts  of  nuts  to  two  parts  of  Aleppo  galls. — 
Dyers  have  a  cauldron  on  purpose  for  black,  and 
when  the  dyeing  composition  is  exhausted,  they  renew 
it  by  what  they  call  a  brevet,  (refresher.)  When 
the  deposite  is  considerable,  it  is  taken  out,  and  iron 
filings  added  to  the  liquid.  The  dyeing  of  the  silk  is 
finished  by  heating  the  cauldron  containing  the  dye, 
and  stirring  it,  from  time  to  time,  to  prevent  the  sedi- 
ment from  heating  too  much. 

"  The  liquor  must  not  boil ;  add  more  or  less  gum 
and  iron  solution  ;  and,  when  the  gum  is  dissolved, 
and  the  liquid  nearly  boils,  it  is  left  for  one  hour,  the 
silk,  divided  into  three  portions,  is  then  immersed  ; 
each  portion  in  succession.  The  silk  is  lightly  wrung 
three  times,  and  aired  each  time.  The  great  point  of 
this  operation  is  to  press  out  the  liquor  with  which 
the  silk  is  impregnated  ;  and,  when  it  is  drained,  to  fill 
it  again  therewith ;  and,  above  all,  to  expose  it  to  the 
air,  which  deepens  the  color.  After  each  portion  of 
silk  has  been  wrung  three  times,  the  vat  is  to  be  heat- 
ed and  more  gum  and  copperas  added  as  at  first. — 
The  reheating  of  the  vat  is  called  giving  a  fire.  Two 
fires  are  commonly  given  fora  light  black,  and  three 
for  a  deep  dye;  and  sometimes  the  silk  is  left  in  the 
vat,  after  the  last  fire,  for  twelve  hours.  Commonly, 
thirty  kilogrammes  [a  kilogramme  is  2  Ibs.  3  oz.  5 
drachms,  avoirdupois,]  of  silk  are  dyed  in  one  opera- 
tion. 

"  This  is  technically  called  a  heat.  If  half  that 
quantity  is  dyed,  only  one  fire  is  required  for  a  light 
black.  The  dyeing  being  finished,  the  silk  is  rinsed 
on  the  rods  according  to  art. 


100  SEWING    SILK    AND    TWIST. 

"  When  the  silk  is  dyed,  it  must  be  softened,  by 
immersing  it  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in  a  solution  of 
soap  in  water,  in  the  proportion  of  from  two,  to  three 
pounds  of  soap,  to  one  hundred  of  silk.  The  quanti- 
ty of  water  is  not  mentioned.  It  is  afterwards  wrung 
and  dried*" 

BEST    BLUE. 

"  Take  filings  of  copper,  free  from  alloy  of  other 
metals,  and  put  them  into  a  glass  vessel,  and  then 
pour  upon  them  muriatic  acid,  sufficient  to  cover  them 
twice  as  deep  as  the  space  they  occupy.  Let  them 
stand  for  the  space  of  twenty-lour  hours,  or  as  long 
as  necessary,  for  the  muriatic  acid  to  attain  a  blue  or 
deep  green  color.  Then  pour  off  the  clear  part  of 
the  colored  muriatic  acid  into  another  glass  vessel, 
and  add  fresh  muriatic  acid  to  the  copper  filings,  and 
continue  this  process  until  the  whole  of  the  copper 
filings  have  been  dissolved,  when  nothing  but  the 
earthy  and  impure  parts  will  remain. 

"  Mix  nil  these  several  blue  or  deep  green  colored 
solutions  of  copper,  and  add  thereto  as  much  spirits 
of  ammonia,  as  will  saturate  the  mixture.  The  silk  is 
then  to  be  moistened  with  warm  water,  care  being 
taken  that  all  parts  be  completely  and  equally  soaked 
in  the  water,  and  wrung  out.  It  is  then  to  be  steeped 
in  the  blue  tincture,  prepared  as  above  directed,  and 
occasionally  stirred,  until  it  takes  a  handsome  ultra- 
marine color.  It  must  then  be  wrung,  rinsed  in  a 
running  str.am  and  dried  in  the  shade.  This  makes 
a  beautiful  Llue,  but  cannot  be  called  a  fast  color,  as 
exposure  to  the  sun  will  give  it  a  greenish  tint. 


SEWING    SILK   AND   TWIST.  101 


DARK    BLUE. 

i4  Powder  very  finely,  and  sift  one  and  a  half  ounces 
of  indigo,  and  put  three-quarters  of  a  pound  of  oil  of 
vitriol  in  a  stone  jar  ;  add  the  pulverized  indigo  to  it, 
stirthe  whole  well  with  an  earthern  pipe  stem, or  some 
similar  earthern  article,  and  continue  the  stirring  until 
the  oil  of  vitriol  ceases  to  ferment ;  the  mixture  hav- 
ing become  quiet,  set  it  by  for  the  space  of  twenty- 
four  hours  ;  at  tho  expiration  of  this  time,  a  little  wa- 
ter must  be  added,  and  the  whole  mutter  stirred  again, 
by  which  it  will  receive,  as  it  were,  new  life  and  vig- 
or;  after  which,  it  must  be  set  away  undisturbed,  un- 
til it  is  to  be  applied  to  the  dyeing  of  the  silk.  After 
this,  prepare  a  kettle  with  eight  buckets  of  water,  put 
into  it  one  and  a  quarter  pounds  of  alum,  and  dissolve 
it  completely  therein.  This  being  done,  pour  the  so- 
lution into  a  pail,  stoop  the  silk  in  the  solution,  and 
work  it  well  therein  for  an  hour ;  after  which,  take  it 
out,  wring  it,  and  lay  it  by,  in  its  wet  state,  for  further 
use. 

"This  being  done,  put  eight  buckets  of  water  in  a 
kettle,  pour  the  solution  of  indigo  into  it,  and  mix  it 
well  by  stirring  :  work  the  silk  well  in  this  blue  liquor 
for  the  space  of  half  an  hour,  then  take  it  out,  rinse  it 
in  running  water,  wring  it,  and  lay  it  by,  in  its  wet 
state,  for  further  use.  By  this  process,  the  silk  will 
receive  a  handsome  light  blue  color. 

"  To  deepen  this  blue,  or  to  change  it  to  a  dark  blue, 
proceed  in  the  following  manner:  Take  a  kettle 
with  sixteen  buckets  of  water,  and*  bring  it  to  a  boil- 
ing state  ;  then  put  into  it  four  pounds  of  logwood, 
and  boil  it  well  for  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour; 
then  take  out  one  half  of  the  liquor,  and  run  it  through 
*9 


102  SEWING  SILK  AND  TWIST. 

a  sieve  into  a  tub  ;  let  the  other  half,  or  eight  buckets 
of  the  same,  remain  in  the  kettle  for  further  use  ;  put 
into  the  liquor  in  the  tub,  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  alum, 
which  has  previously  been  dissolved  in  some  vessel; 
stir  the  whole  well,  steep  the  light  blue  silk  in  it,  and 
work  it  well  in  the  liquur  a  quarter  of  an  hour  ;  then 
take  it  out,  wring  it,  and  keep  it,  in  its  wet  state,  for 
further  use,  and  throw  out  the  liquor  as  useless. 

"  Lastly :  pour  into  another  vat  the  remaining  eight 
buckets  of  the  logwood  liquor  left  in  the  kettle,  alter 
having  first  run  it  through  Ji  soive  ;  steep  the  silk  in 
the  liquor,  and  work  it  well  therein  for  tho  space  of 
half  an  hour  :  then  take  it  out,  rinse  it  in  running  wa- 
ter, wring  and  dry  it.  By  the  above  process,  you 
will  obtain  a  dark  blue,  in  every  respect  equal  to 
any  of  the  blues  which  have  been  colored  by  means 
of  the  keep. 

"  The  above  blue  is  likewise  applicable  to  the  dye- 
ing of  any  other  goods  ;  and  not  alone  in  this  respect, 
is  it  of  advantage,  but  k  likcwisa  saves  you  the  trouble 
and  expense  of  preparing  a  kcop  for  dyeing  a  small 
quantity  of  silk  to  a  dark  blue  ;  and  if  the  risk  of 
missing  a  keep,  and  the  consequent  loss  thereof  be 
taken  into  consideration,  the  above  receipt  is  of  con- 
siderable advantage  to  the  dyer  as  well  as  to  the  man- 
ufacturer; particularly  as  the  smallest  quantity  may 
be  colored,  equal  to  the  coloring  of  a  keep,  by  redu- 
cing the  ingredients  in  proportion  to  the  quantity  of 
the  silk,  which  is  to  be  dyed." 

PRODUCT    OF    THE    SILK    WORM. 

Various  estimates  have  been  made  of  the  silk  pro- 
duced by  a  given  number  of  worms ;  but  it  depends 
essentially  upon  the  amount  and  quality  of  the  food 


SEWING    SILK    AND   TWIST.  103 

consumed,  and  the  care  and  cleanliness  with  which 
they  are  attended.  That  is,  they  will  make  more 
and  belter  silk  if  they  have  been  well  fed  and  care- 
fully attended,  than  if  they  have  been  stinted  in  their 
food  and  suffered  to  remain  in  their  filth. 

In  the  early  settlements  of  Georgia,  cocoons  were 
made  of  an  uncommon  weight.  There  were  instan- 
ces when  two  hundred  weighed  a  pound  avoirdupois; 
and  Mrs  Davenport  made  some,  under  the  direction 
of  Mr.  Cobb,  two  hundred  and  six  of  which  made  a 
pound.  M.  Bonafous  averages  them  at  t\vo  hundred 
and  s'rfty  six  to  the  pound,  nnd  a  Mr.  B'-isti  of  Penn- 
sylvania, made  a  quantity  which  required  three  hun- 
dred and  six  to  the  pound.  Mr.  D'Homergue  fed 
worms  from  Carolina,  and  also  from  France,  the  for- 
mer made  cocoons  which  required  three  hundred  and 
thirty  seven  to  the  pound,  and  the  latter  three  hun- 
dred and  eighty  seven. 

Count  de  ilazzi  calculates  that  from  seven  to  ten 
pounds  of  cocoons  will  make  a  pourd  of  reeled  silk. 
In  France,  twelve  pounds  have  been  required,  while 
two  thirds  of  that  weight  have  given  a  pound  of  silk 
in  this  country.  Mr.  Cobb  reeled  from  8000  cocoons 
three  pounds,  including  floss. 

A  large  yield  has  been  obtained  from  a  lot  produ- 
ced the  past  season,  by  Mr.  Lyman  Atwater,  of  New 
Haven,  and  reeled  at  the  factory  of  the  Connecticut 
Silk  Manufacturing  Company,  in  Hartford.  From 
the  books  of  the  company*  it  appears  that  from  thirty- 
four  and  a  quarter  pounds  ot  cocoons,  nine  pounds 
and  three  ounces  of  which  were  damaged,  six  and 
three-fourths  pounds  of  silk  were  reeled.  By  this  state- 
ment, it  will  be  seen  that  five  pounds  of  cocoons  yield- 
ed about  a  pound  of  reeled  silk.  This,  however,  is  a 


104  SEWING    SILK   AND   TWIST. 

TCry  extraordinary  yield,  and  must,  be  considered  al- 
together more  than  an  average  product.  Part  of  the 
0ilk  was  reeled  on  Mr.  Cobb's,  and  part  on  Mr. 
Dale's  reel,  by  Miss  Ann  M.  Benton,  of  Windsor,  a 
very  careful  and  skilful  reeler. 

Cocoons  are,  ordinarily,  sold  by  the  bushel ;  and  a 
bushel  is  estimated  to  contain  from  2500  to  3000,  ac- 
cording to  their  size.  But  as  it  is  difficult  to  ascer- 
tain their  accurate  measure,  it  is  generally  commuted 
for  weight,  eight  pounds  being  considered  a  bushel. 

PROFIT  OF    THE    SILK    WORM. 

With  respect  to  the  profit  which  may  be  derived 
from  the  culture  of  silk,  much  might  be  said  and  ma- 
ny estimates  made,  demonstrating  the  fact  of  its  be- 
ing a  prolific  source  of  wealth;  but  it  has  always 
been  the  studious  endeavor  of  the  writer,  both  in  his 
private  correspondence,  and  his  editorial  articles,  in 
"  The  Silk  Culturist,"  to  stop  short  of  the  truth.  He 
is  aware  that  the  silk  enterprize  is  an  exciting  subject 
— that  farmers,  who  have  not  been  accustomed  to  re- 
alize large  incomes  from  their  lands  and  labor,  may 
be  worked  up  into  enthusiasm,  in  view  of  sudden 
wealth — and  that  by  far  the  greater  part  of  mankind, 
are  prone  to  indulge  in  "  air  castle  building,"  always 
to  their  detriment,  and  often  to  their  ruin. 

To  guard  against  these  evils,  which  he  is  determin- 
ed shall  not  be  brought  upon  the  community  through 
his  instrumentality,  he  has  always  taken  the  lowest 
estimates  of  product  and  profit,  as  the  basis  of  his 
calculations,  considering  these  amply  sufficient  to  in- 
duce rational  and  cautious  men,  to  try  the  experiment. 

He  is  aware  of  the  various  estimates  which  have 
been  made  by  practical  culturists,  and  is  fully  satig- 


SEWING    SILK    AND    TWIST.  105 

fied  that  most  of  them  are  erroneous  in  their  results. 
By  this,  he  does  not  mean  that  the  gentlemen  who 
have  made  them,  have  intended  to  mislead  the  public ; 
but  that  they  have  misjudged  with  respect  to  a  fair 
average  crop.  Some  of  these  estimates  are  mani- 
festly extravagantly  high  ;  while  others  arc,  equally 
as  manifest,  below  the  truth.  Were  the  ms.liuin,  be- 
tween the  two  extremes  taken,  it  is  believed  it  would 
be  as  near  an  approximation  to  the  truth,  as  the  pres- 
ent imperfect  state  of  the  business  will  admit.  Ta- 
king this,  then,  as  correct  data,  the  conclusion  would 
be,  that  from  $125  to  8150  nett  profit  may  be  ex- 
pected from  an  acre  of  full  grown  trees,  or  covered 
with  full  grown  hedges. 

LABOR    REQUIRED. 

It  is  difficult  to  make  accurate  estimates  of  the  labor 
required  in  feeding  ana  attending  a  family  of  silk 
worms  of  a  given  number;  as  there  are  several  cir- 
cumstances which  tend  to  increase  or  diminish  it  ma- 
terially— such  as  the  distance  the  foliage  is  from  the 
cocoonery — the  size  of  the  trees  and  the  quantity  of 
their  leaves — the  variety  of  the  tree,  whether  of 
the  Chinese  or  Italian,  &c.  &c. 

The  following  estimate,  however,  has  been  made 
by  a  correspondent  of  the  New  York  Farmer,  which 
may  be  regarded  by  the  culturist  as  accurate  as  any 
thing  he  can  find  on  the  subject,  short  of  actual  ex- 
periment. "  The  labor  required  to  attend  1,000,000 
worms  would  be,  the  first  week,  two  persons  ;  for  the 
second,  four ;  for  the  third,  eight ;  for  the  remaining 
two,  fifteen  or  twenty."  This  will  make  an  aggre- 
gate amount  of  324  days,  necessary  for  a  family  of 
that  number.  The  same  writer  estimates  the  product 


106  SEWING    SILK    AND    TWIST. 

of  this  number,  at  500  pounds,  which,  at  present 
prices,  cannot  be  estimated  at  less  than  $3  a  pound, 
after  deducting  the  expense  of  reeling. 

If  these  statements  are  to  be  relied  on,  it  will  be 
easy  to  calculate  the  nett  profit  which  may  be  ex- 
pected from  1,000,000  worms.  The  gross  profit 
being$1500,the  expense  of  the  labor  is  to  be  deducted. 
Calling  this  a  dollar  a  day,  which  is  the  highest  it  can 
be  called,  it  will  amount  to  $.324,  which  being  deduct- 
ed as  aforesaid  would  leave  a  nett  profit  of  $1176. 
But  when  the  fact  is  taken  into  consideration  that 
most  of  the  labor  can  be  performed  by  boys,  girls 
and  aged  women,  its  expense  will  be  materially 
diminished,  arid  the  profit  proportionably  increased. 

CONCLUSION. 

In  conclusion,  we  must  say,  that  the  culture  and 
manufacture  of  silk  in  this  country,  is  yet  in  its  infancy, 
and  improved  methods  of  cultivating  the  Mulberry, 
rearing  the  Worms,  &c.  are  constantly  developing 
themselves  through  the  result  of  experiments,  which 
are  monthly  published  in  "  THE  SILK  Cui/ruRisT,"a 
paper  devoted  to  the  subject.  To  such  culturists, 
therefore,  as  are  desirous  of  keeping  themselves  advis- 
ed with  regard  to  the  progress  of  the  silk  enterprise, 
and  possessed  of  all  the  information,  in  relation  to  it, 
as  it  discloses  itself,  it  is  recommended  to  become 
subscribers  to  that  work,  which  is  published  at  Ilart- 
ford/Connecticut,  by  the  Executive  Committee  of  the 
Hartford  County  Silk  Society,  at  a  mere  nominal 
price. 


THE     SILK    CULTURIST, 

AND    FARMER'S    MANUAL, 

PUBLISHED    MONTHLY    BY    THE    EXECUTIVE    COMMITTEE    OF   TBB 
HARTFORD   COUNTY    SILK   SOCIETY. 

THE  object  of  the  publication  is  to  dissem'nate  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  cultivation  of  the  Mulberry  Tree  in  all  its 
varieties;  rearing  Silk  Worms  ;  the  production  ol  Cocoons 
and  Reeling  Silk  hy  the  most  approved  method.  The  pub- 
lication will  contain  a  complete  manual  or  directory  from 
sowing  the  Seed  to  RIH  ling  the  Silk,  together  with  such  facia 
and  experiments,  as  will  enable  Farmers  to  raise  Silk,  and 
prepare  it  for  market,  without  further  knowledge  or  assist- 
ance. It  will  also  contain  interesting  matter  on  agricultural 
subjects  in  general. 

THE  CULTURIST  was  commenced  in  April,  1835,  and  there 
ore  now  published  five  thousand  copies  monthly,  with  a  ra- 
pidly increasing  circulation.  Arrangements  have  been  made 
to  furnish  the  first,  volume  to  those  who  make  early  applica- 
tion for  the  second.  Each  volume  will  contain  ninety-six 
quarto  pages.  The  terms  are  50  cents  a  year,  to  be  ibr- 
warded  to  F.  G,  COMSTOCK,  Secretary,  postage  paid. 

This  publication  has  received  the  unsolicited  notice  of 
almost  every  respectable  public  print  throughout  the  United 
States.  From  some  of  them  the  following  are  extracted. 

It  affords  abundant  evidence  of  the  ability  and  judgment  of 
the  Committee  for  the  performance  of  their  duties;  and 
while  it  will  excite  public  attention  to  the  advantages  to  be 
derived  from  the  general  introduction  of  the  culture  of  Silk 
into  our  country,  it  will'also  a  flora  the  information  necessary 
to  enable  such  as  are  disposed  to  enter  into  it,  to  proceed  un- 
derstandingly. — Genesee  Farmer,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

We  would  suggest  to  gentlemen  who  can  afford  it,  and 
\?ho  are  zealous  lor  the  real  improvement  of  our  country,  to 
procure  instead  of"  Extra  Globes  "  and  "  Extra  Telegraphs," 
$5  worth  of  copies  of  this  work,  and  distribute  them  among 
luch  of  their  acquaintances  as  will  not  otherwise  be  likely  t» 


108  ADVERTISEMENT. 

see,  or  even  hear  of  the  work — such  as  women,  children,  old 
persons,  and  others  who  have  to  maintain  themselves  by 
their  industry,  and  are  not  capable  of  heavy  or  hard  work. — 
Farmer  and  Gardener,  Baltimore. 

It  is  very  handsomely  printed  on  fine  paper,  and  its  great 
object,  the  promotion  of  the  growth  and  manufacture  of 
American  Silk,  is  worthy  of  the  attention  of  every  man  who 
would  enrich  either  his  country  or  himself.— Providence 
Journal. 

Judging  from  the  high  source  from  which  it  cminates — 
the  selection  of  subjects  and  their  arrangement,  (to  say  noth- 
ing of  the  first  rate  mechanical  execution  of  the  number 
before  us,)  we  think  it  merits  a  rapid  rise  in  the  scale  of 
popular  favor. — Mtthuen  Falls  (J\lass.)  Gazette. 

It  gives  a  deal  of  valuable  information  on  this  subject  at 
the  cheap  rate  of  50  cents  per  annum. — Franklin  (iMass.) 
Mercury. 

We  believe  it  is  destined  to  promote  the  culture  of  Silk  in 
this  portion  of  the  Union,  where  it  is  said  the  climate  is 
peculiarly  suited  to  that  business.—  Patriot  and  Democrat, 
Hartford. 

We  most  heartily  welcome  to  our  table  a  new  publication 
bearing  the  above  title,  emanating  from  the  Hartford  County 
(Ct.)  Silk  Society.— Burlington  (Vt.)  Free  Press. 

It  contains  a  variety  of  information  on  the  culture  of  Silk, 
and  promises  to  be  a  valuable  auxiliary  to  those  who  intend 
to  turn  their  attention  to  this  article. — Herald,  St.  ^Au^ustine, 
Florida. 

We  know  of  no  work  so  well  adapted  to  diffuse  informa- 
tion and  counsel  on  the  subject,  as  the  "  Silk  Culturist." — 
Neii)  York  Journal  of  Commerce. 

We  have  been  perfectly  astonished  with  the  interest  which 
this  important  subject  has  already  excited  throughout  the 
United  States,  and  with  the  amount  of  valuable  information 
respecting  the  Worms  and  Mulberry,  and  the  useful  and 
curious  historical  details  collected  by  the  conductors  of  that 
excellent  publication. — Neiv  York  Evening  Star. 

To  those  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  the  Mulberry,  the 
instructions  contained  in  this  periodical  must  be  highly  valu- 
able.— Philadelphia  Com.  Herald. 

We  conceive  no  work  has  yet  appeared  in  the  United 
States  which  a  fiords  as  much  general  information  upon  the 
•ubject. — Lancaster  Journal. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

RENEWALS  ONLY—TEL.  NO.  642-3405 
This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


LD  21A-40m-2,'69 
(J6057slO)476— A-32 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


!626 


M181955 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


VlLLIAM  O.   COMSTOCK, 

HAS    FOR    SALE 

Corner  of  Main  a:id  JLsytiun   Street,   Hartford   Conn. 

1OO,OOO  WHITE  ITALIAN  MULBERRY  TREES 

of  two  and  three  years  growth. 

1O,OOO  CHINESE  MULBERRY  PLANTS,  (Moms, 
Multicaulis)  by  the  dozen,  hundred  or  thousand. 

2OO  Ibs.  FRESH  .WHITE  MULBERRY  SEED, 

growth  of  the  year  1835;  which  can  be  forwarded  by  Mailofyj 
otherwise. 


OOO  SILKWORMS  EGOS—  of  the  common 
kind,  which  wind  in  five  weeks:  —  Also,  100,000  of  the  "WHITE 
WORM,"  that  wind  in  three  weeks,  producing  two  irops  in  a: 
season;  all  in  good  oruc/and  ready  to  be  forwarded  to  any 
distance  by  ir^l. 

COBB'S  and  DALE'S  SILK  REELS,  constantly  on  hand  ;  price 
from  five  to         dollars. 


COCOONS-  and 
W.  G. 


o 
AND  FARMERS  MANUAL. 


SILK,  bought  and  sold; 

es  the  PRACTICAL  TREATISE  on  the  CUL 
receives  subscriptions  for  the  SILK  CUL- 


